38% of children under 2 years of age use mobile devices. These digital natives use smartphones and tablets to play games, watch videos or other activities, as the Common Sense Media study shows, which also reflects the large increase in this habit by these children since 2011 (10%).
Mobile devices are already part of the Norway Mobile Database day to day of the smallest of the house. No less than 72% of 8-year-olds use a smartphone, tablet or some similar technological device.
Common Sense Media’s work shows that the use of these devices among children under 2 years of age is growing significantly faster than other media. Thus, their exposure to television remains stable compared to 2011 (66%), while the viewing of DVD videos has dropped from 52% to 46% today. On the other hand, computer use has also increased significantly, from 4% in 2011 to 10% today.
One aspect to take into account when studying the behavior of these early adopters is that the exposure time to these devices has tripled in just 2 years. In 2011, children up to the age of 8 used mobile devices for an average of 5 minutes a day; at present this period has increased to 15 minutes a day.
The consumption of digital content at such an early age can be very beneficial for their development, thanks to the use of educational applications, although it can also have negative connotations. Parents should closely monitor the activity that their children carry out, control the exposure time, and participate in that educational activity; Since technology is in no way a substitute for parents, it cannot act as a virtual babysitter, as a resource to keep them entertained, but rather a monitored activity. The concern about the influence of these devices on childhood development by the American Academy of Pediatrics leads them to discourage their use for children under 2 years of age. This could be an extreme measure, since, with proper control, technology can be a positive reinforcement in your growth.
On the other hand, it is important to control the Brother Cell Phone List content to which the little ones are exposed, in such a way that they do not use games or applications that create dependency; but with a high educational component, appropriate to their age. Technology is a very beneficial element for education, but, if misused, it can promote undesirable habits.
