Over half of Australian kids now use tablet computers, with girls leading the way

Monday, March 17th, 2014 - Roy Morgan Research

For those doubting if tablet computers are here to stay, the latest data from Roy Morgan Research's Young Australians Survey shows they are now in mainstream use among Australian kids.

In the 12 months to December 2013, more than half of all boys and girls aged six to 13 (53%) owned or used a tablet computer, up from 1 in 3 (33%) in 2012.

Girls extended their lead over boys from 1% point in 2012 to 4% points last year.

Kids in Victoria remain the most likely to own or use a tablet (57%, up from 38% in 2012), ahead of Western Australia (54%), Queensland (53%) and NSW (52%). Year-on-year, the sharpest rate of growth has been in Tasmania, where usage among kids has more than doubled from 21% in 2012 to 46% in 2013, catching up to be on par with South Australia/Northern Territory.

57% of 10-13 year-olds and 49% of 6-9 year-olds now own or use a tablet.

2012 and 2013: Proportion of children who own or use a tablet computer: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January 2012 to December 2013 n = 7348 Australians aged 6-13. John La Rosa, General Manager - Agencies, Roy Morgan Research, says: 'The speed with which tablet computers have become mainstream is a phenomenon that we'll no doubt see repeated many times as more user- and kid-friendly technologies enter the marketplace. Tablet computers will become a model for marketers looking to predict adoption trends in the future, and a case study in how devices move from being considered supplementary to necessary, desirable to indispensable. 'It didn't take long after tablets were first launched for parents to recognise their value as an entertainment and educational device with multiple applications suitable for everyone in the house. 'The majority of children now own or have access to a tablet, with now girls almost 8% more likely than boys to use one.' http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets