YOUNG children are just as obsessed with their smartphones and tablets as teenagers, with a third of seven-year-olds taking at least one selfie a day.
According to a survey by First News, the children’s newspaper, to be published this week the celebrity-driven phenomenon of posting regular personal photographs on sites such as Instagram has trickled down to even the youngest age groups.
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Thousands of children aged between 7 and 14 were questioned about their use of technology by First News. The survey found 63% of girls take at least one selfie a day.
Victoria Johnson, an account director from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and mother of Poppy, 7, said: “Poppy is a real character and whenever we meet new people she likes to take selfies with them.”
More worryingly, the survey found almost half of children felt lost when they did not have access to a phone, tablet or computer.
Robin Mansell, professor of new media and the internet at the London School of Economics, said: “Allowing children to experiment creatively with these technologies is part and parcel of the learning process . . .
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“The problem isn’t whether they are taking one selfie or 50, it’s whether they are developing as rounded individuals who . . . relate to other children and engage in creative play and learning.”