iPad kid
Device-dependent young child
A child who spends excessive time on tablets and smartphones, often to the point of developmental concern or social awkwardness.
The term carries mild disapproval, suggesting parents who use screens as babysitters: Every restaurant now is full of iPad kids watching YouTube at max volume.
Extended to describe anyone—including adults—displaying the perceived effects: short attention span, inability to tolerate boredom, or meltdowns when devices are taken away.
- eye strainTired, aching vision
- appMobile device software
- tabletFlat portable computing device
- touchscreenInput-sensitive display panel
- overstimulationExcessive sensory input
sensory overload · distraction · streaming services · social isolation · multitasking · parental controls · interactive games · hyperfocus · helicopter parenting · educational apps · remote learning · reliance · impatience · short attention span · educational videos · cartoons · digital literacy · e-books
- digital nativesGen Z, screenager
- Gen Z stereotypesdigital native, zoomer, meme creator, content creator, influencer
iPad, kid, kids, kiddo, kiddish, kiddie, kidnap, kidnapper, kidnapping