Is Your Child An 'iPad Kid'? The Internet Slang Term Used To Describe Screen-Addicted Toddlers Explained

Even if you didn't know what to call them up until this point, you've probably seen an iPad Kid out in the wild. It's an internet slang term used to describe children who are constantly on their parent's devices, often laying around with their back arched, their faces as close to the iPad as possible, and the volume on their iPad turned all the way up.

Here's everything you need to know about the origins of the iPad kid, from the coinage of the term to their various characteristics.

Where Does The Term iPad Kid Come From, And What Does It Mean?

The term 'iPad Kid' has been used online to describe screen-addicted kids for as long as they have existed, with instances of the moniker being used on X (formerly Twitter) between 2013 and 2018. But the term only grew to mainstream popularity after it went viral on TikTok in January 2021, thanks to the efforts of TikToker @dunkaren.

His "POV: the one cousin on Christmas" video gathered over 19 million views in the two years it was posted, making the start of a long practice of iPad Kid mockery on the internet. Judging from the behavior displayed in the aforementioned videos, one can identify some key characteristics of an iPad Baby.

A child who is so intensely focused on the iPad their parents gave them (usually in a bulky case, and littered with fingerprints) that they lose all awareness of their surroundings, often randomly contorting their bodies and throwing themselves in awkward ways over furniture, bumping into things, and randomly vocalizing.

How Did The Term 'iPad Kid' Spread Online?

Colloquial and popular use of the phrase "iPad Kid" can be identified online in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Streamer Quackity was once documented reacting to the accusation of coughing like an iPad kid, calling it the "worst insult anyone can give to you."

As discussions about iPad Kids increased, so did efforts to identify them. Redditors /u/karambit_master00981 and /u/TheRedstoneMan_YT posted an iPad Kid Starter Pack sometime in 2021.

What Are Some Examples Of iPad Kid Behaviour?

For the full history of the iPad Kid, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.