This report looks at the following areas:
- Children and smartphones ownership, including concerns about smartphone use at schools
- Recent and planned purchases of technology devices
- Smartphone ownership, operating system, app usage and 5G connectivity
- Ownership of devices across wearables, computing, gaming, TV and media
Two in three parents of children aged 18 and under report their child owns a smartphone, but concerns remain about distractions to studying and exposure to harmful content online.
Yogita Burke, Cross-category Research Analyst
Collapse All
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- Opportunities for the technology market
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SPECIAL FOCUS – CHILDREN AND SMARTPHONES
- Vast majority of parents of teenagers say their child owns a smartphone
- Graph 1: smartphone ownership among children aged 18 and under, by age of children living with parents**, 2024
- Most people think children should be banned from using smartphones in school
- Graph 2: agreement with banning children from smartphone usage in schools, by age group, 2024
- Graph 3: agreement with banning children from smartphone usage in schools, 2024
- Distraction from studying is the main concern
- Graph 4: concerns with children having smartphones at school, 2024
- Address young women’s concerns about cyberbullying
- Graph 5: cyberbullying concerns with children having smartphones in school, by gender and age, 2024
- Continue to keep children safe online
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TECHNOLOGY PURCHASING ACTIVITY
- Smartphones continue to dominate sales
- Graph 6: technology products bought in the last three months, 2024
- Graph 7: plans to buy technology products in the next three months, 2024
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SMARTPHONES
- Smartphone ownership is almost universal, regardless of financial situation
- Graph 8: smartphone ownership, by financial situation, 2024
- Uptake of 5G contracts remain stable
- Graph 9: 5G connectivity, 2021-24
- Android smartphones are popular among most age groups
- Graph 10: smartphone operating system, by age group, 2024
- Most Gen Zs are using maps, video calls and playing games
- Graph 11: smartphone activities, 2024
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WEARABLES
- Wireless earbuds remain popular
- Graph 12: wearable ownership, 2024
- Wearables lead the way in households with children aged under 18
- Graph 13: wearable ownership, by presence of children, 2024
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COMPUTERS
- Laptop ownership leads the way
- Graph 14: computing device ownership, 2024
- Half of households with children aged under 18 own a hybrid laptop
- Graph 15: computing device ownership, by presence of children, 2024
- Multiple computing devices are common in households with children aged under 18
- Graph 16: computing ownership, 2024
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TV AND MEDIA DEVICES
- Half of households have a television with at least 4K resolution
- Graph 17: media devices in the household, 2024
- Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to have streaming devices
- Graph 18: streaming media devices in the household, by generation, 2024
- Over half of 16-34s own smart speakers, with younger consumers the biggest users of smart home technology
- Graph 19: household ownership of voice-controlled smart speakers, by age group, 2024
- Graph 20: use of smart home devices in the last three months, by age group, 2024
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GAMING
- Games consoles remain popular in the household
- Graph 21: gaming devices in the household, by gender and age group, 2024
- Graph 22: gaming devices in the household, 2024
- Three in five smartphone owners play mobile games
- Graph 23: played games on a smartphone in the last three months, by age group, 2024
- VR headsets are popular among younger generations, and families with young children
- Graph 24: VR headset in the household and VR headset usage in the last three months, by generation and presence of children in the household, 2024
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APPENDIX
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
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