Have smartphones and tablets changed parenting?   I’m Fred Fishkin with technology BootCamp, a report on gadgets and gear.   According to a new survey commissioned by mobile chipmaker Qualcomm,    53 percent of parents are using phones and tablets to calm and entertain their children 13 and under. Qualcomm Marketing VP Tim McDonough l.   …

“I have a seven year old who wants nothing to do with a smartphone but my eight year old is begging me for one.  And so something happens and you hit that particular age and as a parent you think it’s appropriate and the kids just really understand all the things they can do.  My eight year old is an example, learns multiplication tables on the smartphone playing with an app that made it fun.  But he also uses it to play games and send me texts.  So it’s really become an integral part of the way he learns as well as how he entertains himself.”

Another survey finding… 22 percent of parents said their children have lost or damaged a phone or tablet.   You can find us at BootCamp.com.  I’m Fred Fishkin.