Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Toddlers Tech Savvy Before They Can Talk

BOSTON (CBS) - I don't know about you but I never touched a computer until I was in middle school. Didn't get online until I was almost done with college.

And I'm not exactly an old man.

So a new study by the group Common Sense Media presents a modern milestone - nearly 1 in 3 children learn to use a smart-phone or a tablet computer before they learn to talk.

Think about that for a minute.

These kids may not be curing cancer but they are busy. By the time they turn nine years old a typical child has sent an average of 116 text messages and 85 emails.

The head researcher in this study says it's gotten to the point where toddlers will walk up to a TV screen and try to swipe it, like an iPad or iPhone.

That may sound funny but some say it is not healthy.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids under two spend no time in front of a screen.

This is no different than when parents use the TV as a baby sitter. And, by the way, television is still the most common media that children use.

What's different now is the parent. They're staring at the phone and the iPad too!

And not only aren't they interacting with their kids but child safety experts are exploring a connection between this habit and a higher rate of injuries to little kids.

So while we may want to pull the phone away from the young ones, mom and dad may want to consider their behavior first.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz

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