Youth tablet and mobile phone usage

Generally speaking, there are many devices that a consumer can utilize to access media. In the digital realm, there tends to be three major players: mobile phone, desktop/laptop computer, and tablet. New research dissects the user age demographics of mobile phones and tablets.

In the study, “The Mobile Device Path to Purchase: Parents & Children,” conducted by Communicus, there was a breakdown on media usage between the age groups preschoolers 2-5, kids 6-9, tweens 10-12, and teenagers 13-17. eMarketer reports the general findings:

Preschoolers 2-5:

·        37% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        71% use a tablet

Kids 6-9:

·        47% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        83% use a tablet

Tweens 10-12:

·        71% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        80% use a tablet

Teenagers 13-17:

·        94% of those surveyed use a mobile phone

·        65% use a tablet

Important to note is the shift between mobile phone and tablet usage and age. As kids grow into teenagers, tablet usage decreases while mobile phone increases. Kids between the ages of 6 and 9 tend to use the tablet the most.