The crux of my message was that my sister-in-law's son gets to enjoy a plethora of different toys (and he really does love them) that aren't injection-molded fossil fuel by-products.
Another way to look at it is that he wouldn't have most of those toys if they were physical items - a free piano app beats that $20 toy piano that his mum glanced at in the shop and decided not to buy because she needs to buy more nappies.
It's also interesting how, because touch-input results in a direct and near-instant output, that it can be understood by an infant quite rapidly. To them an app is a real mechanical object.
But shapes, textures, smells, etc are important too. A cheap rubber toy piano might very well be better than an app. Not to mention that they're easier to share with other kids.
Personally, I can't picture my childhood without those "injection-molded fossil fuel by-products" called LEGO.
> But shapes, textures, smells, etc are important too.
He lives in a three-dimensional world, so I don't think he's missing out on any of those things. I'm not arguing for the elimination of physical toys - merely observing that apps have their utility and are less wasteful, resource wise.
> A cheap rubber toy piano might very well be better than an app.
Depends - physical things have a certain barrier to ownership: money. The toy he never had is easily beaten by the free/99c one off the app store. The fact that a tablet is expensive isn't lost on me, but for the amount of utility it has served it's basically paid for itself (it's his dad's tablet).
> Not to mention that they're easier to share with other kids.
Sharing is important, but it's worth noting that with apps you can have collaboration - he and I can play instruments together (like the free split screen piano or guitar apps) or play basic games all on a single screen. Of course physical things do this as well - my intent is to show that apps can be treated like physical objects.
> Personally, I can't picture my childhood without those "injection-moulded fossil fuel by-products" called LEGO.
My nickname is Uncle LEGO - he won't be missing out on that stuff. He's stuck with DUPLO until he's older though.
Another way to look at it is that he wouldn't have most of those toys if they were physical items - a free piano app beats that $20 toy piano that his mum glanced at in the shop and decided not to buy because she needs to buy more nappies.
It's also interesting how, because touch-input results in a direct and near-instant output, that it can be understood by an infant quite rapidly. To them an app is a real mechanical object.