Study Shows Children Under Ten More Proficient with Technology than Reading or Writing

LONDON, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids under 10 are more likely to know how to turn on the television than write their own name or read a book, a study revealed yesterday.

Researchers found that three quarters of children aged between three and 10-years-old can easily switch on the television and put their favourite programme on. And six in ten can happily turn on a computer or laptop, while 59 per cent can work the DVD player.

Sky+ and the internet are also being mastered by children from a young age. But just 63 per cent know how to write their name and only half can read a book. And only four in ten youngsters could make their own breakfast.

Stephen Ebbett, spokesman for gadget insurer Protect your bubble, which carried out the study, said: ''No parent likes to be told what to do by their own children, but it seems this is the case when it comes to working household gadgets. Children now are surrounded by technology from the moment they learn about the things around them.

''But most parents have had to get to grips with things later on in life, and this can mean it takes them longer to get the hang of it. So when their children know how to work things that they are still struggling to get their head around, I'm sure it can leave them feeling a little embarrassed.''

The study of 3,000 parents also revealed that 47 per cent think their children know more about working gadgets than they do. And a third feel embarrassed that their children have better knowledge when it comes to technology.

More than four in ten parents have even had to ask their offspring for help when it comes to working certain gadgets, with their mobile phone most likely to cause them a problem for almost a quarter of people.

Another 19 per cent turn to their youngster when they can't figure out something on the computer, while 16 per cent ask the kids to get the DVD player going.

Researchers also discovered that 34 per cent of parents have had to ask their children for help when it comes to fixing a gadget. And a third even admitted they are more likely to go to their children for help fixing a gadget than their partner, because their other half has the same problem as them.

Thirty-one per cent of people even believe their children have saved them money – an average of 98.30 pounds Sterling - by fixing a gadget and saving them calling in a professional or buying a new one.

But 83 per cent think it is inevitable that their children will be more clued up on technology because they are growing up with it. 91 per cent think it's a good think that youngsters are taught how to work gadgets from an early age.

Stephen Ebbett for Protect your bubble added: ''The younger generation are so comfortable with gadgets that it's no surprise they want games consoles and iPhones from an early age. But although they are great at working them, they can also be great at losing or breaking them – so it makes sense to spend a few pounds a month getting those gadgets insured."

Top ten things children can do themselves

1. Turn the TV on
2. Get themselves dressed
3. Write their name
4. Turn a computer on
5. Work the DVD player
6. Ride a bike
7. Use the internet
8. Read a book
9. Use Sky+
10. Make their own breakfast

About Protect your bubble

www.protectyourbubble.com is an online insurance provider trying to make personal insurance simple, easy and uncomplicated – from buying a policy to making a claim. It currently offers gadget, travel, personal emergency, home emergency, car, life, car hire, home and pet insurance.

Other than iPhone insurance packages, Protect your bubble also offers gadget insurance on cameras, camcorders, notebooks, Blackberry devices, iPods, iPads mobile phones, game consoles, MP3 players, PC's, PDA's, Macbooks and satnavs from 1.49 pounds a month.

SOURCE Protect your bubble