Kids and Mobile Devices: Survey Sheds Light on How Wired Toddlers Really Are

— -- A mobile device is now just as ubiquitous as some of the childhood toys of the past.

A small survey focused on 350 children ages six months to 4-years-old in Philadelphia found that not only are children learning digital literacy at an even earlier age, but by the age of 4, three-quarters of the sample had their own mobile device.

The results were published today in the journal Pediatrics the based on surveys given to parents while visiting Einstein Medical Center in a largely low-income area.

It was not clear whether the pre-schoolers' mobile devices were hand-me-downs or if parents were entrusting their children with new mobile devices. The survey was adapted from Common Sense Media's 2013 survey, researchers said.

The survey found that nearly all children -- 96.6 percent -- had used a mobile device, with many getting their first exposure as babies. Much of the children's interaction with the devices was to keep them calm and entertained, with parents turning on kid-friendly videos, music and games.

Perhaps the biggest sign of digital literacy among pre-schoolers: Many parents reported their 3- and 4-year-olds were able to navigate the devices without help, with one-third of that group being able to multitask, using more than once device at once.

Even one of the most famous toddlers in the world, North West, 2, seems to know her way around a mobile device. Last month her father, Kanye West, went on a Twitter tirade against children's app makers who offer in-app purchases.