With smartphones and tablets more popular than ever, hundreds of thousands of apps have flooded the market. These games and tools aren’t just for adults. More and more apps are designed for children or even babies.

We investigated what apps are available for children and asked area experts what effects these resources might have.

WHAT’S OUT THERE?

It seems every technology publication has its own list of “Best Apps for Kids.” From ABCs to 123s, there’s an app for just about every academic subject and playtime need imaginable.

Apple’s App Store devotes an entire section to this burgeoning market, Apps for Kids, which boasts read-aloud stories, age-appropriate games, reading and math teaching tools and creativity boosters.

Kids can “Learn the States” or “Tap a Tune” before buckling down with the “Dora ABCs.” Plenty of options are available for Android, too. “Learn Coloring” makes for mess-free art, and the “Kinder App” is a multilingual program billed by its creators as “the best first words app for toddlers or older children learning languages.”

Two recent studies relating to the effect of apps on children have sparked numerous parenting discussions in the media and in the blogosphere.

According to a report from Common Sense Media conducted by researcher Vicky Rideout, 52 percent of children ages newborn to 8 can now access either a smartphone, a video iPod/mp3 player or a tablet. Furthermore, “more than a quarter (29 percent) of all parents have downloaded ‘apps’ for their children to use.” The study claims that young users who access such devices daily do so for an average of 43 minutes.

A similar report by Pew Research Center surveyed teachers of somewhat older children. Seventy-seven percent of these teachers found technology “to have a ‘mostly positive’ impact” on their student’s classroom activities. Findings were generally favorable towards the Internet and its applications as teaching tools.

However, the Pew study’s results also included a large percentage of teachers criticizing the lack of attention span and distractibility they see in students who frequently use such technology. In addition, Rideout’s study found that a growing number of children are becoming “media multi-taskers,” using phones, tablets and computers while watching TV, much like their adult counterparts.

CAN THIS TECHNOLOGY BE HARMFUL?

Although most child-centric apps are marketed as teaching tools, many teachers worry about their long-term effects.

“As we become more connected with things, we become less connected with people,” said early childhood educator Rachel Meier of the City of Kettering’s TotLot Preschool. “This is not beneficial to young children’s development. As a preschool teacher, I would like to see parents limiting their young children’s exposure.”

Cassia Koerner, lead pre-kindergarten teacher at the Mulberry Bush Children’s Center, also in Kettering, agrees. “Personally, I don’t think that children at the preschool age need anything like an iPod or an iPad,” she said. “It stunts creativity, in a way. Kids need to make up games and do pretend play – an app is already prepared for them.”

Using a tablet rather than heading outside to play also limits physical activity, an important consideration in the face of the childhood obesity epidemic.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO

Technology is indeed the way of the future, but introduce it to your child gradually. Meier said that she prefers “a hands-on approach” when teaching young children, such as “reading to a child, playing games, [and] small group activities.” She added, “This is not to say that apps can’t be a learning tool and shouldn’t be used. Just like with television, there are good shows for kids, but they should not be the main focus for learning.”

Limiting your child’s screen time is paramount.

“I don’t see anything wrong with introducing this technology to them,” Koerner said. “But if they have it all the time, it becomes an addiction. Social interaction is lacking,” she added, stressing the importance of the parent/child interaction. Koerner recommended taking children outside to play to ensure quality time.

Many apps include options to network with other players or fellow learners. While this can be tempting, especially when comparing scores or quizzing another student, parents should avoid allowing their children to connect with strangers.