June 24, 2012
The Melbourne Herald Sun
A NEW generation of techno-tots is growing up learning to use their parents’ smartphones before they can even crawl, leading to fears cutting-edge gizmos are taking over childhood.
Toy companies are already catering to the new wave of digital rugrats, with products including specially designed smartphone cases for babies.
But a new study has found a third of parents regret giving their children gadgets because of fears they will stunt their creative and social skills, while two-thirds blame new technology for reducing family time with their kids.
Although six-month-old Luca Pennisi can’t ride a bike, throw a ball or even talk, he can already use an iPhone 4 with the help of the Fisher-Price Laugh&Learn Apptivity Case, which protects the device against bumps and dribbles.
But mum Nadine said she wasn’t sure about a smartphone being a suitable toy for her baby boy.
“The more I think about it the more I think it could be making kids grow up too quickly, but then on the other hand it is good for young kids to know how to use technology,” she said.
What about the child’s health and safety?