Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Minister’s information. Basically I have two concerns here that I would like to address. The first is the use of iPads for early childhood development and putting them into the homes of our smallest and youngest and most vulnerable minds and the almost certain use of those iPads by these wee children, and the second is the effective branding on these children who will certainly be accessing these pieces of equipment in contrast to what we know is a very effective way to communicate with families on a personalized basis.
First, just to the impacts of screen time on children, which undoubtedly will be the ones using these iPads the most, I would like to note that there are clear effects which have been demonstrated. Excessive screen time on children include obesity, sleep deprivation, irregular sleep, aggression,
behavioural problems, impaired academic performance, less time for play, greater risk of hypertension, asthma, addictions, poor mental health, problems with body image, desensitization and consumerism. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under two actually have no screen time for babies and toddlers.
Young children, it is demonstrated, learn best by relating to real, live people and by moving and doing, and therein lies a very important point on how we can deliver these programs in effective ways.
In terms of branding, the University of Alberta study on partnerships between oil multinational corporations and the Alberta government shows that such partnerships undermine the basic tenets of education, obstruct access to information and limit critical thinking. I don’t think there’s any question that all of us would like to see every citizen in the Northwest Territories reach their full human potential, and this is being limited by this approach.
There’s new research that shows that a brand experienced from birth is more quickly recognized by students than a brand encountered at age five and older. So these are quite insidious effects or not if the product is a good product and so on. Studies show that branding and corporatization in education and health, for example, by large oil companies, programs delivered undermine or even demonize concern for the land and traditional knowledge values in favour of technology and fossil fuel and artificial values in order to conscript, of course, lifelong consumers.
These are extremely important considerations and they contrast with, you know, the opportunity to deliver programs, again on a personal basis, within the homes of families.
Mr. Chair, I realize I’m running out of time here. I’m happy to carry on after others have had an opportunity to comment here, but I do have a couple more questions. Thank you.