About one third of the children between the ages of five to fifteen in the United Kingdom have their own tablet computers, growing from a fifth last year, according to a research conducted by Ofcom, the Independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, cited by The Guardian. On a positive note, though, there are less TV sets in their bedrooms, the study shows.
Tablet computer use has increased a lot in the last few years in all age categories, the study shows, as it has become an increasingly affordable alternative to desktop and portable computers. All major retail chains have released their own affordable tablet computers in the past years, that cost under £100. Tesco, one of the largest retail chains of the UK, has reported selling over 100,000 units of its private label tablet computer, Hudl, in the past year only. Predictions expect the UK to have over 24 million tablet users by the end of 2014, most of them using Apple’s iPad (50% of the total).
With the increasing penetration of tablet computers, the number of children owning and using their own has also increased. If in 2013 only 19% of the children aged five to 15 owned their own tablet computer (instead of using their parents’ ones), in 2014 this proportion has grown to 34%. Now 60% of the children use a tablet computer at home, while the number of children with television sets in their bedrooms has decreased by a third in the last five years.
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The statistics published by Ofcom also shed some light on what content children prefer to consume on the internet. According to the study, 71% of the children aged 12 to 17 have a social media profile on Facebook, Twitter or another service. Girls in this age range seem to prefer Instagram, SnapChat and Tumblr. When it comes to video sharing websites, YouTube is more popular among the boys.