Ď㽶ĘÓƵapp

A quarter of pre-school age children in Britain have their own touch-screen devices, compared to a mere 4% of children in 2012, market research company Childwise has claimed.

 

In its latest report, Childwise also discovered that 42% of children under the age of four use these devices, a 27% increase over the last four years.

 

Jenny Ehren, research manager at Childwise, said that growth within the pre-school age group is predominantly among three- to four-year-olds, in both boys and girls.

 

“Pre-schoolers appear to have rapidly adopted the tablet which has quickly emerged as a most-wanted device for children, even among the very young,” Jenny said.

 

“Parents have encouraged this, considering tablets and the games and apps on them, as a great way to keep small children entertained and provide a learning benefit.”

 

She added that innovative technology and competition has made tablets much more affordable, and there has also been a greater marketing focus on creating apps for this particular audience.

 

The study also found that one in five pre-schoolers use the internet, one in three uses a mobile phone – although generally a parent’s – and one in three use apps.

 

“By the age of four, most youngsters are self-sufficient on a tablet or computer and a significant minority are becoming independent players across the spectrum of mobile phones, TV and the internet,” Jenny said.