Sunday Times 2
Forget ‘mama’, almost 10% of babies say ‘tablet’ as their first word
Technology has become so ingrained in family life that it’s even started changing the way children speak.
More than one in eight parents claim their child’s first word was ‘tablet’, replacing the typical ‘mama’ or ‘dada’, according to new research.
More than one in eight parents claim their child's first word was 'tablet', replacing the typical 'mama' or 'dada' (Reuters)
While 81 per cent of parents said their child has broken their devices by dropping or throwing them.
A total of 3,614 adults took part in the research commissioned by Twickenham-based Tech21 during July 2014.
The most dangerous area for tablet damage was the family car – with 45 per cent of parents claiming accidents occurred getting in and out of the vehicle.
The survey also found 25 per cent have broken their tablet screens at least once in the last year, with highest usage in the living room and kitchen.
When it comes to tablet time, four in 10 parents allowed their children to use tablets for at least an hour a day, however for seven per cent this usage rose to between three and four hours a day.
And although the majority of tablets were used by school-aged children, 12 per cent said they let their toddlers, aged two and under, play with tablets.
This research follows a recent survey of 2,000 adults that discovered parents are spending a combined £2.25 billion on gadgets every 12 months for their children – with teenage girls and the under-fives being spoilt the most.
© Daily Mail, London