Report: Smartphones gaining popularity as high-tech pacifiers

Smartphones may be gaining popularity with mothers who now use them to pacify their bored toddlers, a recent survey has suggested. In a blog post, security firm BitDefender cited a survey by Asda that 27 percent of mothers are inclined to hand their babies a smartphone instead of a toy. “No longer are mobile phones just a device for keeping in touch. To see them also used as an ‘electronic pacifier’ is no surprise with the large variety of games and entertainment now available to download for children,” it quoted David Fletcher, mobile phone expert at Asda, as saying. However, BitDefender said the poll of 1,650 mothers also found 25 percent still stick to a milk bottle to restore calm and peace. About 40 percent of mothers restrict playtime to a couple of minutes, while another 10 percent left their tech-savvy babies to play with mobile gadgets for up to two hours. The most likely to entertain babies with smartphones are Scottish mothers, the survey showed. BitDefender also cited the survey results showing one in five mothers cite the baby’s favorite soft toy as a pacifier and only nine per cent fell back on a traditional dummy. Also, it said parents are more tempted to hand smartphones to toddlers because of the increasing number of apps for children, such as games, puzzles and educational programs. — LBG, GMA News