NPD Group: Consumer Electronics Devices and Video Game Systems Are Becoming More Entrenched in Kids Lives

According to a new report from NPD Group, "on average, kids ages 4 to 14 are using consumer electronics (CE) devices six months earlier than they were in the 2005 study." The report found that "both CE devices and video game systems are becoming more entrenched in the lives of kids today, with nine of the 11 CE devices measured in the study being used more today than in the past."

NPD noted that "purchase intent for kids is highest for “hot ticket” items such as digital cameras, cell phones and portable video game systems, which are all leaders and/or big gainers in terms of kids’ personal ownership & usage." The study also found that "in terms of personal ownership, more than twice the amount of kids personally own portable digital music players and digital cameras this year versus 2005, while cell phone ownership is up by 50 percent."

Anita Frazier at NPD Group said, “Any business that markets or sells products to kids needs to be aware of the role of these CE devices in their lives. Today’s kids are digital natives whose activities are fundamentally different than previous generations, making the information within this report critical for more effective product development and marketing strategies.”

I wonder how much of an influence gadget geek dads, moms and older siblings play in all of this. In my household, if technology was left to my lovely wife then my kids would probably be playing with traditional toys and games with little gadget goodness in sight...