Gone are the days when you could occupy a child’s time with an ice lolly and a plastic figurine of their favorite cartoon character. It is an inescapable reality that we must, at some point, buy our children a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone. With the outbreak of the global pandemic, the need to buy our children a device of some sort has become even more pressing. Whether it’s for educational purposes or as a way to keep your child busy, you will more often than not end up buying a device for them.
Buying a laptop or a tablet for yourself as an adult is easy because you know your needs. When it comes to children, however, the selection process becomes complicated for many reasons. Safety, privacy, health, and wellbeing are some of the most common concerns that guardians struggle with. Most parents settle for an Android tablet because it’s the cheaper option and Google offers some great parental control features.
We believe that your child’s first device should be an E Ink tablet. E-paper displays and e-readers are some of the best options for a parent looking to buy a device for kids. This belief is founded on some compelling facts that address some of the biggest concerns that parents wrestle with nowadays. The more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Allow us to break it down for you.
Why your child’s first device should be an E Ink tablet
To start with, e-paper displays are naturally geared towards the enhancement of reading and writing skills as opposed to normal tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7. Devices like Amazon’s Kindle lineup and Kobo e-readers focus heavily on reading and try to mimic the feel of traditional paper mediums. Not only are they conducive to learning and the development of literacy skills, but they also go easy on the sensitive eyes of youngsters. If your kid is going to be staring at a screen for a decent amount of time every day, you would definitely want to opt for something that reduces eye strain.
Then we have digital e-notes like the Remarkable 2 and Onyx Boox Note 3 that focus heavily on note-taking, writing, and drawing. Technology is very attractive to little ones, and drawing on an E Ink tablet would take advantage of that interest in the best sense. Many e-readers and e-paper tablets have support for audiobooks and come with built-in dictionaries in various languages. Such tech creations put reading and writing front and center, drawing in the user. They also hone your child’s vocabulary by teaching them to look up unfamiliar words.
In today’s world, safety and privacy concerns are probably at the top of every parent’s worries. The internet, with its many advantages, carries a vast array of disadvantages as well. Leaving your child alone with a tablet can be scary as you never know what sort of dangers they may face. Cyberbullying, chatting with strangers, child predators, and all manner of problems lurk in the murky corners of the interweb. E-paper tablets aren’t designed for browsing the web or using social media. Though it is possible to access these features, they are usually not as streamlined and user-friendly. This may be a negative aspect of such devices for grownups, but for children, this is actually a plus point. Limited interactions and internet features create a safe space for young children.
Another problem when handing electronic devices over to the innocent hands of children is durability. Kids can be messy and as a parent, you’d certainly want your hard-earned money to buy a more long-lasting product. Luckily, there are many e-readers that are waterproof. Take the Kindle Oasis 3 for instance, it is rated IPX8 and can withstand immersion in up to 2 meters of freshwater for up to 60 minutes. That’s surely safe enough in the hands of a child prone to spilling his or her drink on the coffee table.
Adding to the growing list of pros, e-readers and e-notes have excellent battery life. Now, this may seem like a very small thing at first, but it actually isn’t. Mainstream tablets usually require charging once a day. E-paper displays on the other hand tend to go on for days — sometimes weeks — on end! This eliminates the hassle of charging your child’s tab every day, saving busy parents a lot of time in the long run.
Some may argue that e-paper displays aren’t exactly easy on the wallet. Well, if you’re in the market for a decent Android or iOS tab, the costs aren’t exactly affordable either. With time, more and more E Ink devices are coming out at lower price points. If cost is an issue, there’s plenty of fish in the e-paper sea from reputable companies like Pocketbook and Onyx Boox. What’s more, you would save on the recurring costs of buying paper and physical books while helping preserve the environment at the same time.
After considering our comprehensive rundown, you will surely understand why we think you should get an E Ink tablet for your child. It is the perfect path to take when embarking on the journey towards technology with your young ones. E-readers and e-notes are good for their health, learning capabilities as well as safety. An e-paper tablet is the best device to start with as it’ll keep your children safe and nurture their natural curiosity and interests.
Namerah is a Technology Journalist with experience at leading online publications like Android Central. She has a passion for all things tech and gaming, and has been an honorary Goodreads librarian since 2011. When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing stray cats and dogs in the streets of Dhaka or slaying dragons in the land of Skyrim. Email her at namerah@goodereader.com
