By using more than one device at a time – such as iPods, mobile phones and computer games – some youngsters are consuming up to 10 hours of electronic content a day.

The time children spend using electrical gadgets has risen dramatically in the past five years because portable devices have revolutionised the way children access television programmes, films and music, according to a study by US welfare institute the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The researchers found that youngsters devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes using 'entertainment media' across a typical day, an increase of 1 hour 17 minutes since 2004. Because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’, they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those seven and a half hours.

They spent an average of 1 hour 35 was spent sending or receiving texts.

Researchers spoke to 2002 young people aged between eight and 18.

The report found that girls spent more time (25 mins a day) than boys (19 mins) using social networking sites such as Facebook.

Michele Elliott, a child psychologist and founder of the child welfare charity Kidscape, said parents needed to limit the amount of time young children use electronic media.

She said: “When children are using these devices they are not communicating or interacting with anyone else [in person]. They may be very good at texting but how do they do when they have to meet someone face to face?”.