Tech killing off Christmas: Children's wish lists to Santa being done online
WRITING a Christmas list and posting it to Santa has been a right of passage for generations of young people but the festive tradition is dying out as technology savvy kids are creating their wish-lists online.
Children are increasingly using computers to write their Christmas wish lists
This year nine in ten children have turned to the web to make their list for Santa, with just 72 per cent still writing out a formal Christmas list.
The most popular way for kids to make a modern Christmas list is searching online and printing out suggestions, used by a third of children.
A quarter used retailer apps that electronically store wishlists, while almost half (47 per cent) turn to online scrapbooking sites including Pinterest, to 'pin' pictures of toys and gifts they want.
One in five youngsters email and text their lists to their parents
Just 72 per cent of children write out a formal list
One in five web-savvy youngsters email and text their list to their parents while 17 per cent post it on social media for Santa to see.
The research from parenting site Channel Mum also revealed time-pressed parents are twice as likely to buy toys online then visit a traditional toy shop.
A huge 47 per cent of mums and dads said they did all their festive toy shopping online compared to only 23 per cent who hit the high street.
90 per cent of children turned to the web for their wish lists
Making an electronic list may help busy parents, but there's nothing as magical as your child writing their list and posting it to Santa
Siobhan Freegard founder of Channel Mum said: "Lots of children do still write out their list, but this year for the first time the balance has tipped with more children making wish-lists online.
"Making an electronic list may help busy parents, but there's nothing as magical as your child writing their list and posting it to Santa.
"Lets hope we can combine the old and the new and keep the traditional written Christmas list alive."