How young is too young when it comes to kids utilizing technology, specifically tablets and smartphones? Schools.com recently publicised a report that said more than one-third of kids aged 0-8 have used a smartphone or tablet.

The infographic, shown below, is filled with fascinating informative bits, but here are the ones I thought stood out the most:

• 77% of parents think tablets are beneficial to kids. Also, 77% think tablets help with kids’ creativity.
• Most kids play downloaded games on their parents tablets/smartphones, for play and educational games.
• Almost 40% of kids aged 2-4 have used a tablet/smartphone, but by age 5, the percentage goes up to 52%.

In my experience with my kids and tablets

Watching my almost-five year old grow up with my technology has been amazing. By the time she was 18 months old, she could unlock my iPod Touch by powering it on and swiping the screen. For her, she learned how to write her letters on her finger via a PBS Kids app called Super Why! while using my iPad.

My daughter is entertained and learns at the same time on the iPad – in fact, learning and fun games interchange between being engaging and fun and educational without my daughter even knowing it.

Of course, in our house, the iPad is mainly a toy and she gets a very small time to play on it – maybe 20 minutes twice a week. She spends most of her time playing with her little sister and building Lego towers and drawing.

Looking at my daughter’s friends, they’ve all engaged with smartphones or tablets – to the tune of an 80% adoption rate by age 5. The smartphone or tablet is a fun way for them to pass the time through games, entertainment media and more.

See the infographic below and see how it reflect reality for you and your kids!

Photo credit:  aperturismo