Scottish children lead the UK in using phone apps

More than 60 per cent of youngsters north of the Border have taught another member of their family to play games on an app-enabled device.

More than three-quarters of parents say they share their smartphones and iPads with their children while a third say using apps has become an  integral part of family life.

Deborah Wales, a lawyer from Glasgow, says her children, Izzy aged three and Spencer aged one, are fascinated by her iPhone: “Both kids absolutely love playing gaming apps. Izzy has been playing with apps, particularly on her Granny’s iPad, for about a year. Spencer may be a little young to really play games but he’s fascinated with the music and colours, and at one year old he already knows how to use the touch screen. Technology is such an inherent part of their lives, I wouldn’t be surprised if they could use it better than me in no time at all.”

Disney surveyed 2,000 UK parents who own an app-enabled device and found that  despite the wealth of free apps, 49 per cent of parents are spend money on apps each month. Even with the tough economic environment, the research shows two in five parents spend up to £10 each month, which means UK families could be spending as much as an estimated £132 million a year.