As more and more families adopt smart devices in the home, children are being increasingly exposed to mobiles and tablets, according to new research from Common Sense Media.
The report revealed that among US families with children aged eight and under, in the past two years, there has been a five-fold increase in ownership of tablets – from 8% to 40% – with the number of children with access to a connected device at home increasing from 52% to 75%.
‘Zero to Eight: Children’s Media Use in America 2013’ is based on a nationally representative sample of respondents across the US, tracking young children’s use of new mobile media devices and apps, along with traditional media platforms such as TVs, computers and books.
In the past two years, the average amount of time children spend using mobile devices has tripled from five minutes a day to 15 minutes a day, while 38% of toddlers and infants under two have used a mobile device, compared to 10% in 2011.
The average time spent with traditional screen media was found to have decreased by more than half an hour a day, however, TV viewing on a TV set still makes up half of all screen time.
The report also highlights the divide between lower and higher-income families, with more than three times the number of children from higher-income families having a tablet, compared with 20% of children from lower-income families.
“This is quite an extraordinary shift for our young children,” said James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. “In the past we could measure and control exactly where, when, and how they were engaging with screens. Now, mobile devices follow our kids from room to room
“The media children consume can have a profound impact on their learning, social development, and behavior, and the only way to maximize the positive impact – and minimise the negative – is to have an accurate understanding of the role it plays in their lives. These kids are true digital natives.”
