This op-ed is part of a series of reflections on the past decade in education technology. Chip Donohue is the founding director of the Technology in Early Child Center at Erikson Institute, and a senior fellow at the Fred Rogers Center.

As I reflect on the intersection of child development, early learning and technology over the past 10 years, I am reminded of a decade of polarizing arguments for and against young children using technology.

In particular, I remain discouraged by 10 years of continuing debates about screen time that miss the importance of content and context in determining what uses of technology are beneficial for young children. My work has focused on always putting the child before the technology, identifying what we have learned while acknowledging what we still need to understand, and balancing the benefits while embracing concerns about children’s health and well-being in the digital age.

In 2009, the iPhone was two years old, and we were beginning to explore the possibilities of the touch screen and video chat as engaging interfaces for young children. The release of the iPad in the following year put young children in control of their screen experience by simply clicking, tapping and swiping. Along the way we’ve seen a proliferation of children’s technology and media on adult tools, including apps for teaching, learning, communication, collaboration, connecting, and social-emotional learning.

It is important to note that none of these technologies were originally designed for young children. Yet all of them end up in very small hands very quickly. The digital environment adults are immersed in was not intended as a place for children, but children find their way there. Developers have been quick to create apps and content for the youngest users, adapt technology tools including video chat, tangible tech and voice-activated assistants, and develop pedagogical approaches for digital storytelling, STEM learning and coding.