Before learning their ABCs or 123s, toddlers have already mastered how to stare at a screen. The study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, found that half of the children had their own television by the age of four and 75 percent had their own mobile device.

Before learning their ABCs or 123s, toddlers have already mastered how to stare at a screen. 

A new survey has found that most toddlers and preschoolers begin using mobile devices before their first birthday - and are regularly using their own without supervision by the age of four.  

It found that a staggering 96 percent of children in the survey regularly used mobile devices, and that by the age of 2 most of them were using the electronics daily.

The study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, found that half of the children had their own television by the age of four and 75 percent had their own mobile device.

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A new survey has found that most toddlers and preschoolers begin using mobile devices before their first birthday - and are regularly using their own without supervision by the age of four (file photo) 

Tablets were the most popular device among toddlers and two-thirds of 4-year-olds owned their own, Dr Hilda Kabali wrote in the report.

Netflix and YouTube were reported as some of the most popular apps. 

Parents of 350 children were surveyed at the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia for the study, according to NBC News. 

The survey notes that its findings may not reflect the entire country, but national surveys have found similar results. 

Common Sense Media found in a nationwide survey that 72 percent of children below the age of 9 used mobile devices in 2013 - a large jump from the reported 38 percent who did in 2011. 

The survey conducted at the Philadelphia center found that 70 percent of parents gave children mobile devices while they did their household chores. 

Sixty-five percent of parents reported giving their children devices to keep them calm and 29 percent said they handed over the tablets at bedtime. 

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Tablets were the most popular device among toddlers and two-thirds of 4-year-olds owned their own, Dr Hilda Kabali wrote in the report published in Pediatrics (file photo) 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics has advised parents to set limits on their kids's screen time, telling them to treat media 'as you would any other environment in your child's life'.

Some experts say it's not so much the fact that children are using these electronics that should worry parents - but the fact that they're using them without supervision or family interaction.

'It can't be overstated: Children need laps more than apps,' Pediatrics professor Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis told the New York Times. 

The AAP tells parents to prioritize 'unplugged playtime' and to join their children in it whenever they can, saying 'families who play together, learn together'. 

The organization said parents should also create tech-free zones in the home and advise against using technology as the sole way to keep their children calm and quiet in public and at home.   

Source: Daily Mail