"iPad kid" means: A child, generally Generation Alpha, who gets all of their entertainment through an iPad or other tablet; a child who is addicted to using t.... This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
iPad kid
(Internet slang, sometimes, mildly, derogatory) A child, generally Generation Alpha, who gets all of their entertainment through an iPad or other tablet; a child who is addicted to using their tablet.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2021 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
(Internet slang, sometimes, mildly, derogatory) A child, generally Generation Alpha, who gets all of their entertainment through an iPad or other tablet; a child who is addicted to using their tablet.
That iPad kid went ballistic in the restaurant after his mom took his iPad away.
"iPad kid" means: A child, generally Generation Alpha, who gets all of their entertainment through an iPad or other tablet; a child who is addicted to using t.... This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
"iPad kid" means: A child, generally Generation Alpha, who gets all of their entertainment through an iPad or other tablet; a child who is addicted to using t.... Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Semantically related
- iPad parent77%
(slang, derogatory, neologism) A parent who allows their child near-unlimited (usually unsupervised) screen time; a parent who lets a tablet computer, such as an iPad, raise their child.
- kiddie65%
(slang, often, attributive) A child.
- logo kid64%
(Internet slang, mostly derogatory) A young individual whose hobby is logotypes and other corporate branding, often seen as obsessive or immature.
- e-kid62%
(internet slang) An e-boy or e-girl.
- kiddo61%
(US, Australia, NZ, Philippines) A child.