According to ”Kids & Consumer Electronics 6,” the most recent report from leading market research company The NPD Group, besides high-definition televisions (HDTVs) and laptops, which are becoming more popular, usage of all other CE devices by kids ages 4-14 is stable or down from last year. Televisions (both standard and high definition) remain the most widely used consumer devices among kids with 74 percent of kids in this age group watching TV, while computers (both desktop and laptop) are second at 70 percent.

“Computers are really the hub for many of kids’ digital lives, simply due to the sheer variety of activities that can be accessed online,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Over the last year, there has been a notable increase in the percent of kids going online to visit social networking sites while using a computer to play a CD-ROM game, or to download or stream music has declined.”

However, kids that are using other devices are expanding the range of activities they do on them. For example, there’s a noticeable increase in the percent of kids using cell phones for imaging and music, and portable digital music players (PDMPs) for gaming and viewing videos.

According to the report, HDTVs and laptop computers surpassed digital cameras last year in the percent of households that acquired one in the past 12 months, although cell phones remained the most acquired CE device with 30 percent of households with kids ages 4 to 14 purchasing in the past year.

Thanks in part to lower price points for HDTVs, when asked about their future purchase intent in the next 12 months, parents are just as likely to purchase HDTVs for their kids as they are to purchase cell phones or digital cameras, showing the increasing popularity of this CE device. In fact, 18 percent of parents surveyed stated they plan on purchasing an HDTV for their kid in the coming year, while only 17 percent plan on purchasing a cell phone or digital camera.

With the exception of desktop computers, 2010 data shows more households are downloading content to the various devices for kids compared to last year. Portable and console VG systems, cell phones, laptop computers and PDMPs all show a 2 percent to 3 percent point increase in downloading of digital content versus 2009.

Kids’ interest in portability and being able to access entertainment on the go continues to climb. According to the report, four of the top five CE devices owned by kids are all portable. Portable video game systems, PDMPs, digital cameras and cell phones all rank in the top five CE devices personally owned by kids ages 4-14. Console video game systems are the only non-portable device to rank in the top five.

New to this year’s study is the ownership of accessories for cell phones, PDMPs and portable video game systems. With 61 percent of cell phone owners, 66 percent of PDMP owners, and 88 percent of portable video game system owners having at least one non-essential accessory, accessories are a source of revenue in the CE market that cannot be understated.

Methodology

The same methodology was employed as the original study in order to provide accurate trend

information. An online survey was fielded to a representative sample of male and female adults age 23 and over with children ages 4 to 14 in the household. All surveys were conducted from February 8 – 24, 2010. In order to qualify, respondents’ children had to use at least one consumer electronic device measured in the study. Respondents with more than one child in the specified age range were instructed to answer for a randomly selected child. The study is based on 3,463 completed surveys.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless.