I’m often told by my own mother that I’m really lucky to be a mom today. I’m lucky because I have all of these “things” that seem to make parenting rather easy. By things, I’m referring to things of the technological variety, namely my iOS devices.

I’m not sure these “things” make parenting easier so much as they provide another means with which I can entertain my child at the necessary times, like doctor visits or particularly long car rides. What once was a simple rattle or chew toy is now an app that can interact and make sounds along with lots of colorful images.

There is a stigma that comes along with the baby that is placated by some form of media, and a lot of that stems from a study issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics that says “screen time” is bad for babies under the age of two.

While the study is mostly referring to television screen time, we’re in a wave of new electronics that fall under the “screen time” category because, well, mobile devices operate with a screen.

An article from Psychology Today echoes much of what the AAP is saying, writing ad nauseum about the ill-effects of screen time and babies, comparing it to leaving them in a crib to stare at the ceiling. Eventually, the lack of stimulation can lead to serious problems.

The issue I have with that comparison and the subsequent bulleted list that says screens are essentially evil, is that there is some form of stimulation with a tablet, unlike the crib/ceiling example. It’s just not multi-sensory. While there is some sensory experience involved with touching the cool, smooth glass of an iPad screen and the moving colors and lights of a specified app, it’s not complex enough for it to be a useful tool for a little baby. At least, that’s what this one particular article is saying.

I am failing at finding information on how balancing technology use with good ol’ legacy toys is a bad thing for a baby to experience. As a work at home mother, I love that I can leave my 9-month-old son next to his stacked bin of toys and know that he will explore every container for something that he wants. When he is done dumping the entire contents onto the floor, he will then point to each toy, touch and move them, put his mouth on at least every fourth one, and then he will move onto pulling himself up on the padded ottoman.

When he has clearly gotten bored with the aforementioned, he’ll usually come over to me and my MacBook Pro and want to bang on the keys for a bit. At this point, I will go head and hand him my iPhone (News - Alert) or my iPad because he’s done with his three dimensional toys and is ready for a little two dimensional action. His favorite app on the iPad is The Monster at the End of This Book, the interactive counterpart to the hit Sesame Street book. It makes him laugh. At 9 months old, he already knows how to get the pages to turn despite Grover’s many attempts at prohibiting him from doing so.

The article continues on about the many ills of the iPad, how it will interfere with sleep, it’s terrible for the eyes, as is lack of sunlight. The simple solution for that is, well, go outside.

Articles of this ilk seem to make us parents who allow our children screen time out to be these malevolent beasts who put our babies in sensory deprivation tanks with nothing but iPads and televisions.

I tell people who question my use of technology with my little guy that I’m just giving him yet another experience that is current in his world right now. A lot of studies defend the value of reading to your children and I couldn’t agree more. I read at least five books to my son every night. Books have a more varied vocabulary than anyone who is speaking extemporaneously, but by taking that book, programming it into an app, using script for dialog and having characters act and read it aloud? Same concept, it’s just a book without pages and binding.

We just did our taxes and have been fortunate enough to be getting a return. I plan on taking my “legacy” iPad and giving it to my son and will be purchasing the new iPad for me and my husband. The original iPad is a perfect tool for my little guy. He doesn’t need a camera, let alone a front-facing one (although he thoroughly enjoys FaceTime (News - Alert) on both my MacBook and iPhone), and I can dedicate it to apps designed just for him.

When the author in the Psychology Today piece asks the question “why push babies to live in a digital desert when they can grow up in a much richer environment - the real world?” I can’t help but laugh. It’s not that we’re pushing them to live in a digital desert. The digital life is part of their environment. It will grow with them as they grow. It’s a digital forest, not desert, and I can only hope it’s one that my son will thrive in. These are the tools of future engineers.

So, yes, I’m giving my baby my iPad.

Technology and devices are wonderful instruments to enhance a baby’s development, and there is simply no rationale in the paradigms set forth by the arguments in these studies.