Two year olds are adept at using touch screens, and can swipe, unlock, and actively search for features on smartphones and tablets, finds a small study published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
This level of interactivity is akin to play, say the researchers, who suggest that the technology might have a potential role in childhood developmental assessment.
They base their findings on 82 questionnaires on touch screen access and use, completed by the parents of children aged between 12 months and 3 years.
Parents were asked how long their child used touch screens each day, and whether s/he was able to unlock the screen, swipe through pages or images, and recognise and interact with specific features such as app icons for games.