The average age at which children start using technological products has been reduced to 6.7 years in 2007, according to the study “Children and trends in technological consumption III” by the firm NPD.
In 2005, the average age was more like 8.1 years according to a previous study by this analysis firm. If television and computers are the first gadgets used by young people (around 4 or 5 years old), the last ones are satellite radios and portable digital music players, around 9 years old.
The devices most mentioned as purchased in the past year are cell phones, digital cameras, and PDMPs. Some newer technologies, such as TV-to-computer video devices and satellite radios, and some older devices, such as movie cameras and karaoke systems, report low levels of household purchases.
“Kids are drawn to the latest and most powerful gadgets, just like their parents are,” says Anita Frazier, an NPD analyst. They are not afraid of technology and they adopt it easily, without a band of music”.
Children, however, prefer gadgets that are intended for them, such as children’s digital cameras. They use these products younger and more frequently, according to the NPD study, conducted online with parents of older children ages 4-14.
To facilitate participation in this study, as noted in the previous 2005 and 2006 studies, the children’s versions of all electronic products show strong performance compared to their adult counterparts. According to the report, children are using children’s versions at an earlier age and more frequently. However, with the exception of video games, adult versions of electronics show higher penetration than the children’s version of the same product.
Although most parents indicate they would be interested in a kid-branded version of an electronic device, the level of interest has declined: from 83 percent in 2006 to 74 percent in 2007.
children had to use at least one technological device, which should lead to underestimating the average age at which children use technology, since all those who do not use any technology are not counted.
The downward trend, observed by NPD over the last three years, should not, however, be affected by this dubious methodology.
