Adults Are Realizing Their Boomer Mothers Have Turned Into ‘iPad Moms’ — ‘These Are A 60-Year-Old Women Sitting On IPads All Day’
“It’s almost like she’s in her own universe when she’s sitting on that iPad.”
fizkes / Shutterstock It’s impossible to ignore all the ways technology has transformed our daily lives in the last decade. Our kids use iPads in the classroom, our doctors utilize AI-generated notes in appointments, and many of us spend our days on our laptops, working from home.
While many have raised concerns over "iPad kids" and their excessive screen time, concerns are growing for another group of people who can't seem to put their iPads down.
Adult kids are now realizing that many of their boomer mothers have turned into 'iPad moms.'
“Is this a reality for anyone else, or is it just me? I feel like I’m losing my mind,” TikTok creator Trevor Abney admitted in a recent video. “Does anyone else have an ‘iPad mom’?”
In the age of technology-feral children and "iPad toddlers," there’s an inherently negative connotation for anything hinting at “obsession.” Too much technology is bad — yes! But, are these “iPad moms” truly obsessed with their tablets, or simply enjoying a side of life that they didn’t have the freedom to explore as kids themselves?
Well, these iPad moms’ adult children have something to say about it — arguing that they might be a little too overindulgent in Candy Crush, Apple News, and unprompted FaceTime calls.
They argue that people are hyperfixated with ‘iPad kids’ while ignoring ‘iPad moms’ with similar tendencies.
“I know the joke on the internet is about how bad ‘iPad kids’ are … but ‘iPad moms’ have got to be the worst phenomenon in the world and nobody talks about it,” Abney continued. “My mom will literally sit in her chair on her iPad looking at the news articles of the day for like 3 hours.”
He, along with hundreds of other adult children, took to TikTok to argue that although they don’t have a problem with their parents owning or using iPads, their behavior is simply "out of pocket.”
“The craziest part is that this is a 60-year-old woman sitting on an iPad," he added. "If you try to talk to her, she just doesn’t respond.”
Not to fear, the phenomenon isn’t exclusionary. Alongside kids and moms, many creators admit their whole families have become “iPad-centric.” Grandparents, toddlers, and parents are included.
“I’ve got iPad parents,” TikTok user @22jct22 joked. “They come in a pack.”
Older generations’ adoption of technology might provide social, emotional, and intellectual benefits.
Whether it’s reliving childhood curiosities or simply enjoying an escape from reality, the phenomenon of older generations enjoying ‘iPad time’ is more robust than you might imagine.
In stitches to Abney’s original video, Gen Z and millennial adult children admitted their parents have become “addicted” to their iPads in ways that toddlers couldn’t dream of.
From Candy Crush to Zillow browsing to Duolingo, these “iPad moms, dads, and grandparents” have narrowed the gap in technological usage in the past decade. Trends that once emphasized younger generations as early adopters of technology have now revealed heightened usage in people 65 and older. And it's not necessarily a bad thing.
As more members of older generations start to understand the potential of the internet, not just for worldly connections and social media discourse but also for personal entertainment, education, and growth, they are persuaded to use it.
It might sound silly to think about introducing something like an iPad into your grandparents' lives, but it could actually provide many benefits, including minimizing the consequences of isolation, providing educationally stimulating opportunities, and giving them the chance to cultivate closer friendships and relationships with people they don't see day to day.
Kaspars Grinvalds / Shutterstock
So, yes, there are still potential downsides to frequent technology use, but comparing an “iPad kid” with a parent is misleading, particularly as they are using technology with fully developed adult brains.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.