By John Eggerton — Broadcasting & Cable, 10/25/2011 12:10:00 AM
Some 39% of 2-4-year-olds use a smart phone or tablet, and more than half (52%) of kids ages 5-8 do so.
According to a just-released national study from Common Sense Media: "parents, pediatricians, and child development experts are concerned about screen media use among children under two, this report indicates that a substantial number of infants and toddlers are watching TV and DVDs on a regular basis," the study concluded.
It is the first of a series of reports from Common Sense as part of its new Program for the Study of Children and the Media, which is headed by Vicky Rideout, former VP of the Kaiser Family Foundation. "These results make it clear that media plays a large and growing role in children’s lives, even the youngest of children," said Rideout, president of VJR Consulting. And almost a quarter of kids 5-8 are multitasking at least some of the time.
The goal of the program is to provide free, objective, and reliable data about young people’s media use to those concerned about promoting healthy child development, including policymakers, educators, public health experts, child advocates, and parents.
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