baby using smartphone (Photo : Facebook)
Infants are tapping before walking or talking. Over one-third of babies aged 1 year old have already used smartphones and tablets, according to a new study. Also, infants as young as 6 months old are using them.
In fact, the majority of children have used mobile devices by the age of 2 years old. Some toddlers are spending over an hour a day on screens, according to AAP News.
Among children younger than 1 year old, 36 percent have touched or scrolled a smartphone screen, and 52 percent have watched TV on a mobile device.
Many children less than 1 year old have also used mobile devices for more complex functions. That includes 24 percent for calls and 15 percent for apps.
Results of the survey were presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) conference on April 25 in San Diego. The researchers themselves were shocked by the results, according to Palm Beach Post.
Hilda Kabali of the Einstein Healthcare Network says that children were using the mobile gadgets from the age of 6 months. Some contact the screen for up to half an hour.
The researchers conducted their study after creating a 20-item survey for 70 participating parents. Their goal was to learn when babies first use mobile devices, and how they use them.
The reasons parents allowed their babies to use mobile devices was also quite shocking. That included 73 percent of parents while they were doing chores at home, and 65 percent to calm down a child.
One of the most fascinating findings was indirectly related to babies using smartphones and tablets. Only 30 percent of parents had discussed the issue with their child's pediatrician.
The AAP has stated that it discourages children below 2 years old using TVs, smartphones, and tablets. That is because such devices could damage the development of a child.
