Steve Jobs
Sarah Biren
Sarah Biren
March 24, 2024 ·  4 min read

Why Steve Jobs Didn’t Let His Kids Use iPads (and Why You Shouldn’t Either)

He made billions of dollars from devices, but Steve Jobs didn’t let his kids use an iPad. In a New York Times article, Nick Bilton recalled asking Jobs how his kids liked the new gadgets. And Jobs replies, “They haven’t used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”

His strict policy on screen time is similar to many people high up in the tech world. Chris Anderson, the co-founder of drone manufacturer 3D Robotics, also has austere rules about technology for his children. “That’s because we have seen the dangers of technology firsthand. I’ve seen it in myself, I don’t want to see that happen to my kids.[1]

Steve Jobs Didn’t Let His Kids Use iPads

In another interview, Steve Jobs said that he and his wife didn’t let the kids use iPads because “we think it’s too dangerous for them in effect.” He continued about how addictive the device could be. It’s hard to resist these effects, even for most adults. [2] And when Anderson refers to the “dangers of technology,” he means this addictive quality, as well as cyber-bullying and exposure to harmful content like pornography. 

For many tech parents, the boundary on technology is set by age, with kids under 10 having little to no screen time during the weeks and limited time on weekends. Some parents also prohibit social media accounts, where old posts could haunt the kids later on in life. Some younger kids have phones with only texting and calling. Additionally, sometimes the restriction set in place is a time limit, and sometimes it depends on what the child is doing. For instance, consuming media is limited but creating via computer art, writing, editing videos, etc., is allowed.

This is rule No. 1: There are no screens in the bedroom. Period. Ever,” Mr. Anderson said.

Meanwhile, some parents worry about bans potentially backfiring. For that reason, Dick Costolo, chief executive of Twitter, allows his teenagers to use gadgets as long as they kept them in the living room. 

“When I was at the University of Michigan, there was this guy who lived in the dorm next to me and he had cases and cases of Coca-Cola and other sodas in his room,” Mr. Costolo said. “I later found out that it was because his parents had never let him have soda when he was growing up. If you don’t let your kids have some exposure to this stuff, what problems does it cause later?”

Read: Experts Say Your 8-Year-Old Should Know How to Do Laundry

How Screens Could Be Harmful To Kids

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids under the age of two shouldn’t be exposed to screens. “A child’s brain develops rapidly during these first years, and young children learn best by interacting with people, not screens.” They also recommend that the kids’ bedrooms and the dinner table should be screen-free zones. Additionally, children and teens should only use high-quality entertainment media for 1–2 hours a day. [3]

Not all of the negative effects of too much exposure on young children are known yet. After all, this is the first generation to deal with this conundrum. However, there are studies that found that screens could affect cognitive, social, and language development and worsen mental health and behavioral disorders. Therefore, the introduction of screens to children should be slow, limited, and high quality. Additionally, screen time should become an opportunity for education, for instance, applying empathy and critical thinking to what is happening on-screen. [4]

Often, screen time replaces activities that are critical to children’s development, such as socializing, exercise, sleeping. Because of this, some studies about the negative effects of screen time are unclear whether the detriments are from the screens themselves or the lack of the other activities. 

After all, technology does have its positive benefits. According to David Anderson, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and senior director of National Programs and Outreach at the Child Mind Institute, “small doses of screen time can be a mental health-positive way of relaxing, reducing stress, and connecting socially to friends and family members.” [5]

Parents Lead the Way

However, the research found that kids’ screen time and habits closely mimic those of their parents. “The best predictor of children’s TV time is their parents’ TV time,” study author Amy Bleakley, a policy research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia. “If Mom and Dad automatically turn on the TV when they have free time, it’s likely that their kids will learn to do the same.”

More often than not, children listen to what their parents do, not what they say. And often the best way to teach them good screen habits is to display them with your own behavior. [6] Steve Jobs didn’t allow his kids to use the iPad, or rather any screen at their dinner table, which demonstrates this lesson to his kids.

Keep Reading: Fans Are Divided After Eva Mendes Shares Parenting Quote About Spanking

Sources

  1. “Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent.New York Times. Nick Bilton. September 10, 2014
  2. “Here’s why Steve Jobs never let his kids use an iPad.Business Insider. Eames Yates. March 14, 2017
  3. “Media and Children.” American Academy of Pediatrics
  4. “Screen time and children: How to guide your child.Mayo Clinic. June 20, 2019
  5. “Screen time and kids: New findings parents need to know.” ABC News. Dr. Angela Ryan. November 5, 2019
  6. Parents’ TV time may be the biggest influence on kids’ viewing habits.” CBS News. Michelle Castillo. July 15, 2013