One in six Hongkongers has an iPad and half want one, but how many are being used as electronic babysitters? Stuffed with games, photos, music and video, there’s a worry that tablet computers and smartphones are handed over too easily to youngsters.
A survey by Nielsen last month reveals how prevalent iPad use is among children in North America. In households where at least one iPad was owned, 70 per cent of children used it, and what it’s being used for is hardly surprising. The vast majority of children download games – 77 per cent – and while 43 per cent also watch TV and films, an impressive 57 per cent use educational apps, too. At least, that’s what their parents say, over half of whom admit to using an iPad to pacify their children while travelling, or while eating in a restaurant.