Study: More than half of young children use digital media

Among the survey’s key findings:

42 percent of children under 8 years old have a TV in their bedroom.
Half (52 percent) of all zero- to 8-year-olds have access to a new mobile device such as a smart phone, video iPod, or iPad/tablet.
More than a third (38 percent) of children this age have used one of these devices, including 10 percent of zero-to 1-year-olds, 39 percent of 2- to 4-year-olds, and more than half (52 percent) of 5- to 8-year-olds.
In a typical day, one in 10 zero- to 8-year-olds uses a smart phone, video iPod, iPad, or similar device to play games, watch videos, or use other apps. Those who do such activities spend an average of 43 minutes a day doing so.

In addition to the traditional digital divide, a new “app gap” has developed, the survey suggests. Among lower-income children, 27 percent have a parent with a smart phone, compared to 57 percent for higher-income children. One in 10 lower-income children has a video iPod or similar device in the home, compared to one in three (34 percent) upper-income children. And just 2 percent of lower-income children have a tablet device such as an iPad at home, compared to 17 percent of higher-income children.

Only 14 percent of lower-income parents having downloaded new media apps for their kids to use, compared to 47 percent of upper-income parents.

Thirty-eight percent of lower-income parents say they don’t even know what an app is, compared to just 3 percent of higher-income parents.

Nearly three out of four (72 percent) zero- to 8-year-olds have a computer at home, but access ranges from 48 percent among those from low-income families (less than $30,000 a year) to 91 percent among higher-income families (more than $75,000 a year).

“Much of the focus in recent years has been on the explosion of media use among teenagers, whereas our study examines media use among young children during crucial developmental years,” said James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently updated its recommendations on media use for children younger than 2, noting that while the AAP discourages media use for this age group, parents should set media limits for their children.

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