The indoor generation: They can’t swim and don’t need a teddy but kids can use their iPad before they learn to tell time

A growing number of children in Yorkshire can use an iPad before they have learned to tell the time, a survey has found.

Nearly two-thirds of youngsters in the region now own or have access to a digital tablet, and in a further shift from tradition, one in three do not have a teddy bear.

The digital age is threatening not only tree-climbing and playing out until sunset, but also the simple skill of riding a bike, which is becoming a lost art among two to 12-year-olds, the survey found.

Of the children questioned, 67 per cent said they could confidently manoeuvre around an iPad, 52 per cent could take a video using the sharing app Snapchat and 69 per cent could complete a level on the game Candy Crush, in which players compete to win representations of sweets.

In contrast, more than one child in three cannot swim, half do not know how to tie their shoe laces and 41 per cent struggle to play a sport.

And while 41 per cent of children do not own a football, nearly as many admit to playing FIFA “virtual soccer” games on the PlayStation console.

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Photo by flickingerbrad