Do you know kids as young as three are spending six hours a week on the internet or that teens are sending an average of 255 text messages a week?

The infographic below from Ebuyer, based on the most recent statistics available relating to children aged three to 15 years, shows how much kids are using technology.

Although ‘Generation Y’ is undoubtedly and somewhat instinctively more proficient at using tech than most adults, some of the data may still come as a surprise.

For instance, you might not realise:

  • 72 per cent of 12-15-year-olds own three or more media devices
  • 16 per cent of 8-11-year-olds own five or more media devices
  • More than half of children have ‘accidentally’ accessed inappropriate online content such as animal cruelty or violent pornography
  • 18 per cent of 5-7-year-olds have uploaded photos to a website
  • 51 per cent of households with a child aged three to 15 have a tablet computer compared to just seven per cent in 2011

This year will see a surge of tech-based children's toys entering the market in the form of tablets, smart wearable tech, enhanced play devices and even augmented reality.

The overall toy market was down last year by one per cent compared to 2012 while the youth electronics market increases. It seems the trend is set to continue as 'Generation Y' evolves into 'Generation Tech'.

Do you wish all the technology currently available was around when you were a kid? Do you think today’s children are better off for having such easy access to mobile devices and electronics, and being so proficient at using them, or do you think there’s a danger kids are relying too heavily on technology? Add your comments below.

Click on the graphic below to open a larger version.

News Shopper: Generation Tech infographic