ABC News’ Lisa Stark reports:

Like mother, like daughter. Like father, like son. Just as adults are increasingly grabbing for their digital media devices, their children are too.

Sometimes it’s the perfect toy to keep a cranky 2-year-old quiet, or maybe your 6-year0-old is begging to play the latest game app. A new study has now taken a first-ever look at children’s use of new digital media devices. The study, by Common Sense Media, finds the devices are quickly becoming a part of a children’s world.

Researchers surveyed omore than 1,300 parents of children up to age 8. They found that 40 percent of 2- to 4-year-olds, and 52 percent of 5- to 8-year-olds have used smart phones, video iPods, iPads or similar devices. Even infants are not immune. Ten percent of those under age1 have handled one of these devices. The kids are playing games, watching videos, or using other apps. On any given day, 11 percent of those up to age 8 are using one of these devices. Those who do may spend as long as 43 minutes on the device.

While this trend may be growing, the youngest media consumers still spend far more time in front of a television than they do on one of these mobile devices. Those up to age 8 spend an average of one hour and  40 minutes watching TV or DVDs on a typical day. And those under age 1 spent about 53 minutes, more than twice as much time as they spend being read to.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for those under age 2. The group doesn’t have a position on this new media and its affect on children. Study authors say they’re hoping their data will start a discussion on whether this type of screen time is any better or worse for children than TV.

Kids are also mimicking their parents in another modern past time- media multi-tasking. Nearly a quarter of 5- to 8-year-olds use more than one media most or some of the time.