More kids now know how to play computer games than ride a bike

So our little ones are better with technology than the old-school tying of shoe laces. It sounds alarming… but perhaps not so surprising?

Internet security company AVG Technologies undertook a series of studies which hoped to show how well children interact with technology and how often. Across ten countries (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, USA, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany) 2,200 mums with children aged two to five years of age were analysed. The outcome was that toddlers all over were better equipped with techie skills than they were with common ‘life skills.’ The results showed that more children know how to play a basic computer game than to ride a bike. More children can manage to get that web browser up on the screen than the number of those who can swim unaided, while more kids have the knack for using smartphones, but not so much the skill for tying their shoe laces. It doesn’t seem technology discriminates by gender either. When it came to playing computer games, 58 percent of boys enjoyed this hobby along with 59 percent of girls. Twenty-eight percent of boys and 29 percent of girls could make a mobile phone call – in fairness, we’re thinking this one is rather important, especially when it comes to the safety of our little ones. On a separate note, the study also showed that toddlers with mums over the age of 35 were better at writing their own names compared to those who’s mums were aged 34 or under. Many people will no doubt find it a gloomy result that the very first skills of our babas will not always include riding a bike or swimming, but perhaps these aren’t the only ‘life skills’ needed – our babies have a lot to learn in today's world.