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Study: US parents rearing a gadget generation

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-10 10:39

SAN FRANCISCO - Research released Tuesday indicates that US parents are rearing a young gadget generation that is at home with smartphones, laptop computers, and videogame consoles.

US households with children between the ages of four and 14 have an average of 11 electronic gizmos, according to a Kids & Consumer Electronics report from industry tracker NPD Group.

One third of parents surveyed for the study said they plan to buy their child a consumer electronics device in the coming year.

Young gamers wait in line to play The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks video game on the Nintendo DS at the Nintendo of America booth during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, June 3, 2009. A study by NDP group indicates that US parents are rearing a young gadget generation. [Agencies]

Younger children are in line for electronic learning toys while older offspring can expect mobile telephones or digital cameras, NPD found.

In a shift from earlier NPD studies, girls are apparently more likely than boys to use mobile telephones or laptop computers.

Children using mobile telephones prefer text messaging and sending pictures to talking on the devices, NPD found. Text messaging by children has "skyrocketed," according to the report.

Televisions and computers remain the top two devices used by children, but the study shows a shift to high-definition sets and laptop computers.

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Survey results indicate 37 percent of US children use personal digital music players, such as seemingly ubiquitous Apple iPod devices, as compared with six percent in 2005.

"The increase in usage of portable devices opens up more opportunity to distribute digital content," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier.

"Kids' acquisition of digital content has increased across the board in the past year, particularly for digital music, TV shows, music videos and online video clips."

One in four kids has their own videogame console, according to the report.

"The activity which drives two of the three most-used consumer electronics devices, computers and video game console systems, is gaming," Frazier said.