Study: 25 Percent Of Children 3 And Under Own An iPad

SACRAMENTO (CBS Sacramento) -- A quarter of children aged 3 years old and under own an iPad, according to new research.

Researchers found that statistic rises to 31 percent for children under 5, and 37 percent for children between the ages of 3 and 5, as reported by The Drum.

The study found that children with access to such technology spend an average of 79 minutes on the device daily, often unsupervised.

Experts are now calling on more awareness toward "family digital literacy," partially by introducing guides to use the apps and tablet for pre-schoolers. Parents are encouraged to direct their children toward apps that are helpful for social interaction and creativity, over the use of popular apps like Candy Crush and Angry Birds.

"The study showed that the use of apps on tablets by pre-schoolers can be very productive and foster a wide range of play and creativity," research leader Jackie Marsh, of Sheffield University, told The Drum. "However, apps need to be chosen carefully by parents for this age group. Apps that contain adverts and pop-ups for in-app purchases can limit children's play. In addition, whilst children of this age want to play some of the same games that their older siblings or parents play, these are not age-appropriate and do not offer a great deal of value for pre-schoolers."

The study evaluated responses from 2,000 parents of children aged up to 5 years old.