Brit Kids Use Gadgets 353 Hours A Year

British children are consuming on an average nearly an hour a day playing with gadgets at home, finds a new study.

UK children aged 10 years and under, are spending 353 hours a year using technology products in their home, according to a new poll.

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BDA’s (British Dietetic Association) recent survey on 3,000 school students finds, they are watching TV, computers, and playing video games for about two-and-a-half months every year.

A survey of 2,000 parents by toy company 'Leapfrog', found that almost two thirds of children now own a camera, gaming or mobile device, with six per cent of those owning a personal tablet, such as an iPad.

Seventy percent of children regularly play with their parents' laptop or computer; while sixteen percent of children aged 10 and under, own their own computer.

Nearly a fifth of parents claim their children know more about modern devices than they do and take to them more naturally.

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Half of the families polled claim that technology is used at home as a means of bringing the family closer together.

"With technology becoming such an important part of everyday life and gadgets like the iPad dominating popular culture, this research demonstrates the changing attitudes of parents towards emerging technology trends and increased usage by children," the Telegraph quoted Dr Ian Pearson, a futurologist who tracks and predicts developments in technology and society, as saying.

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"Over the next 10 years it is likely that we will see learning on tablets in the classroom as commonplace, with Kindles often replacing books and learning gadgets being the materials of choice in the home. Video visors will even be commonly used for learning activities. However, traditional books will still have a place," Pearson said.

Online safety for children remains a significant concern for parents letting their children play with their computers and gadgets.

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More than a third (38 per cent) worry that gadgets, such as tablets and Kindles, are not age appropriate and as a result are concerned that their children will access inappropriate content.

Over a quarter of parents (26 per cent) are anxious about online grooming and one in 10 (10 per cent) agonize about their child being subjected to cyber bullying.

Though parents may have some valid concerns about their children's screen time, less than a third (31 per cent) insist that their children's technology use is supervised at all times.

Source-ANI