A new survey finds that 27-percent of moms give their whining or crying child a cell phone rather than a toy as a distraction.
The research conducted by Asda, a U.K. supermarket chain says that the findings compare with 25-percent of moms who prefer to use bottles, 21-percent who give soft toys, and 9 percent who give their children pacifiers.
The study, reported in the Daily Mail found that 40-percent of these parents left their phones in the hands of their child for no more than 10 minutes. One out of 10 parents admitted to allowing their child to play with their cell phones for up to two hours.
Researchers surveyed 1, 650 mothers.
There are thousands of cell phone applications aimed at children including learning games and cartoon apps. However, experts question how much screen time is too much for children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting a child’s screen activity to no more than one or two hours a day. These activities include watching movies, TV, and playing video games.
A recent study in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that preschoolers in the U.S. are not spending enough time outdoors.
