The Dangers of Toddlers Playing With iPhones

Few things are more attractive to toddlers than a small device with a colorful electronic display that fits in their hands. The similarities between an iPad and an iPhone mean that toddlers as young as 18 months-old can breeze through the selection screen to choose their favorite cartoon video or take pictures of themselves. And, though it's tempting to let your toddler play with your iPhone in the waiting room at the doctor's office or in the car, it's important to be aware of potential dangers.

  1. Glass Dangers

    • Unlike other smart phones with hard plastic screens, the iPhone still sports a glass screen. While glass itself isn't inherently dangerous, many toddlers delight in hurling, dropping or smashing toys. Even if he's careful, dropping a glass-screen face-down on the stairs or at the playground can quickly crack the glass. And, even if the glass is just cracked, not shattered, it doesn't take much for a naturally curious toddler to pull apart the broken shards from the screen, potentially cutting himself or injuring another child by flicking them on the ground.

    Radiation Waves

    • Your iPhone is like a two-way microwave, releasing and receiving radiation and wireless signals. According to HealthyChild.org, because she has a thinner skull and more fluid in her brain, a toddler absorb this radiation at a much higher rate than teens and adults, even when she's just holding the phone. According to Dr. Devra Davis, founding director at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and member of the Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology, you can take precautions by setting your iPhone to airplane-mode, to disable wireless signals, before letting your toddler play with it.

    Accessibility

    • In this case, the person at in danger when your toddler plays with your iPhone is you. The user-friendly nature of Apple products means your toddler is most likely capable of operating your iPhone and many of its applications. The danger is she could delete important contact information and text messages. Worse still, many older toddlers love taking pictures and videos on your iPhone of scenes you may not want captured, let alone sent to your entire address book-- like you getting dressed in the morning or the dog pooping.

    Chewing

    • Even toddlers who know better may absentmindedly chew on various toys and materials. The soft rubber material on some iPhone cases can be particularly appealing for teething tots. He might not chew through the entire case, but he could gnaw off one an exterior rubber flap designed to protect openings like the charge port, creating an instant choking hazard. And, even if you're lax about germs, letting your toddler suck on your iPhone, a device that's touched nearly every surface in your house and is rarely, if ever, scrubbed clean or disinfected, isn't great for controlling illness.

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