My Kid Needs to Know How to Use an iPad… right?
Series: Tech Myths Parents Need to Unlearn
Tech Skills Aren’t Enough to Future-Proof Our Kids
In a world where screens seem to dominate every aspect of our lives, one reason I hear parents give when they're struggling with screen time boundaries is:
“But I've learned kids need to be able to use the technology for their future.”
This worry is understandable, but it misses the point. The rapid pace of technological change means that today's cutting-edge devices will probably be irrelevant by the time our children enter the workforce.
Instead of focusing on specific tools, we should nurture the skills that stick. Learning, creativity, and communication matter more than keeping up with the whatever is trending. Billionaire tech marketing makes us feel like we have to make sure we keep up with each new product.
Where adults may have to keep up with change for their careers, children need experience with independence, productive struggle, and interpersonal conflict, regardless of the tech in their lives. Instead of asking, "Can they use an iPad?" we should ask, "Can they think, create, and work with others in a changing world?"
By building these timeless skills, we're giving our kids a foundation they can carry into anything that comes next.
From Projectors to iPads: Tools Come and Go
If you went to school in the ‘90s or early 2000s, you probably remember overhead projectors. Writing on clear plastic sheets felt so high tech, that is until SMART Boards came along and stole the spotlight. Now, those feel outdated in classrooms filled with iPads and touchscreen panels.
And who could forget the Trapper Keeper? Color-coded folders and Velcro flaps were once the gold standard for staying organized. Today, it’s Google Drive and classroom apps.
The point is: every tool feels essential… until it’s not.
Tech moves fast, but luckily for us, the real skills kids need are asking important questions, solving problems, and working with others.
Shifting Focus
As millennials, many of us were raised with a major focus on specific skills—tech or otherwise. Our parents saw how specialized jobs were becoming in-demand and paid well, so they encouraged us to learn the tools that would set us apart. And for a while, that worked because the rate of change still felt manageable.
Today, tech evolves at a rate we never anticipated. The BlackBerry craze gave way to the iPhone almost overnight. Coding, once seen as a must-have skill, is now being automated by AI tools that can write scripts faster than most people can type.
The specific skills we thought were future proof clearly don’t always hold up.
By focusing on timeless skills like learning, creativity, and communication, we can prepare our children not for the tech of tomorrow, but for whatever comes after that. Because we can't predict the future, but we can raise ScreenProof kids equipped to figure things out as they go.
What Kids Really Need in a Digital World
If it’s not about mastering iPads or knowing how to code in elementary school, what do kids need? The answer is simpler than we think:
Independence – the ability to start, follow through, and solve problems without constant hand-holding.
Productive Struggle – the confidence to try, fail, and try again.
Interpersonal Skills – the ability to collaborate, listen, and communicate with real people in real life.
These are the traits that help children make sense of the world.
How These Skills Actually Show Up
When a child learns to wait their turn, advocate for themselves, or figure out how to fix something that’s broken, they’re building the same muscles they’ll need to navigate future technologies.
Problem-solving doesn’t start with coding; it starts with games, puzzles, teamwork, boredom, and resilience.
Adaptability doesn’t come from learning every new app—it comes from understanding that when something changes, you can figure it out.
What You Can Do as a Parent, Caretaker, or Educator
You don’t need a degree in digital literacy to help your kids build these core skills. Here’s what you can do:
Model balance: Let kids see you using screens for learning, rest, and connection—not just mindless scrolling.
Normalize challenge: Don’t jump in to fix things right away. Let kids struggle a little. That’s where growth happens.
Talk about tech: Instead of making rules about screens, have conversations around them. Ask what they’re watching, how it makes them feel, and what they think about it. (Click here to get started with a free family tech plan.)
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be anti-tech to be pro-kid. Devices will keep changing. Skills will keep evolving.
But if we focus on helping kids grow as thinkers, creators, and communicators, we’ll set them up for success no matter what tools tomorrow brings.
The iPad is just a tool. Let’s raise kids who can use it well, but who never need it to thrive.
