Dramatic Rise in Mobile Use by Toddlers in the U.S.

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By Trey Thoelcke Published
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In this increasingly digital age, is it really any surprise that American toddlers and infants now spend more than twice as much time with tablets or other mobile devices that they do with books?

According to the most recent national survey of children’s media use in the United States released by Common Sense Media, ownership of tablets in families with children aged eight and under has leaped from 8% to 40%. The percentage of children with access to a smart mobile device at home has risen from about half (52%) to three in four (75%).

Among the study’s findings:

  • The average amount of time children spend using mobile devices has tripled, from five minutes a day to 15 minutes a day (the average daily use among all 0- to 8-year-olds);
  • The number of kids who’ve used mobile devices has nearly doubled (38% to 72%);
  • 38% of toddlers and infants under 2 have used a mobile device, compared to 10% in 2011.

The survey also found that access to mobile media among poor and minority children is significantly higher than it was two years ago. However, a digital divide still remains. While 20% of lower-income kids have a tablet, some 63% of higher-income ones do. Also, 35% of lower-income parents have downloaded educational apps for their children, compared to 75% of their more affluent neighbors.

However, the television clearly still reigns supreme in most homes. Nearly six out of 10 children (58%) watch TV at least once a day, compared to just 17% who use mobile devices daily.

Photo of Trey Thoelcke
About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.

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