Parents Forced to Pay Twice for their Children's Gadgets

Study: 40% of Gadgets Owned by Children End Up Broken

 

As smartphones continue to become an essential part of our lives, it’s no surprise that children are adopting technology at a particularly fast rate. According to a recent survey conducted by Protect Your Bubble, four out of five children own a tablet, smartphone, laptop and/or game console. However, what did surprise our statisticians is that 40% of gadgets purchased for children end up damaged, forcing parents to spend an average of £150 to repair or replace the item.

“As technology becomes more user friendly, it becomes more accessible to younger children. However, they're not necessarily any more durable,” said Stephen Ebbett, Chief Digital Officer at Protect Your Bubble.

Protect Your Bubble in May 2016 surveyed 2,000 parents across the UK to learn more about how families buy and interact with technology. In addition to the surprising statistic that shed light on the lengths that parents will go to keep their children educated and entertained, we also gained insight which devices are most popular.

  • 80% of children between the ages of 2 and 14 own a tablet, smartphone, laptop and/or game console
  • 58% of children between the ages of 2 and 14 own a game console
  • 50% of children between the ages of 2 and 14 own a smartphone
  • 39% of children between the ages of 2 and 14 own a laptop
  • 16% of children between the ages of 2 and 14 own a PC

 

Whilst technology is almost ubiquitous among kids, tweens and teens, it is rare that parents will insure one their child’s gadgets. From the sample of 2,000 parents surveyed, we found that 70% of gadgets owned by children are uninsured. From the sample of 2,000 parents surveyed, we found that - 70% of gadgets owned by children are uninsured.

Of the sample surveyed, most Brits take a hands off approach when it comes to their children’s use of technology. The majority of parents only insure devices they use on a regular basis, neglecting the ones owned by their children. In addition, most parents let their children use their gadgets in the privacy of their own bedrooms, but only 14% of parents install Internet safety tools on those devices. However, 87% of parents limit the amount of time their children spend with technology, with most children only spending an average of two horus a day using their favourite devices.

Based on our findings, on average, a child receives their first tablet around the age of 7 and their first smartphone at the age of 10. With this in mind, it would be in the best interest of mothers, fathers and child guardians to take a greater interest in how their child interacts with technology. Not only will it help them save a considerable amount on repairing and replacing their gadgets, but also help ensure their child’s safety and well-being.

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stats about children and gadgets

4 out of 5 kids under 14 own a tablet, smartphone, laptop or games console.

20% don’t own a device
80% have their own Tablet
58% have their own games console
50% have their own smartphone
39% have their own laptop

Parents are forking out an average of £300 per child to kit their kids out with the latest tech. However, 40% of these devices end up broken and 70% haven’t got them insured.
This means that parent must pay an average of £150 to repair or replace expensive electronic gadgets their kids broke. 10% have been broken and not replaced.
The average age parent bought their child gadgets.
1) Tablet, age 7
2) Smartphone, age 10
3) Laptop, age 8
4) Games console, age 7
5) PC, age 7
The average parents think it is suitable to buy their children gadgets
1) Tablet, age 9
2) Smartphone, age 12
3) Laptop, age 12
4) Games console, age 10
5) PC, age 12
Parental controls on children’s gadgets
13% of parents don’t set a time limit.
75% of parents allow their child to have the gadgets in their room
14% of parents have no internet safety features installed on children’s devices.

Data was obtained from a public survey of 2,000 British people.