Children are becoming exposed to and adopting electronic devices at earlier ages.

The average age at which children begin using consumer electronic (CE) devices has declined from 8.1 years in 2005 to 6.7 years in 2007, according to The NPD Group’s recently released report, Kids and Consumer Electronics Trends III. The report, which provides insight into the penetration of consumer electronics in kids’ lives today and how this has changed since the earlier 2005 and 2006 studies, measures device usage dynamics and trends.

On average, children begin using electronic devices at approximately 7 years of age with televisions and desktop computers showing the youngest initial exposure (about 4 or 5 years of age), and satellite radios and portable digital media players (PDMP) showing the oldest (about 9 years of age).

Since the 2005 survey, by and large, virtually all of the various electronic devices register a decline in average age that the initial use occurs. Most notably, earlier product use is seen for DVD players and cell phones.

Interestingly, the average number of CE devices both owned and used by kids is down slightly compared to last year and in 2005, as are the number of households that own these devices. Moreover, close to 25 percent of households surveyed claimed to have made no electronics purchases during the past 12 months.

Kids’ Personal Ownership and Usage

While the overall percentage of kids’ personal ownership and use of electronics has declined slightly over the past two years, their ownership of PDMPs, portable video games and digital cameras exhibits the largest increases of the categories studied, with cells phones and portable DVD players also showing growth.

“Kids are drawn to the latest and greatest digital devices just as their parents are,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “They appear to have no fear of technology and adopt it easily and without fanfare, making these devices a part of their everyday lives.”

The devices mentioned most as being bought during the past year are cell phones, digital cameras and PDMPs. Some newer technologies such as TV-to-computer video devices and satellite radios, and some older devices such as film cameras and karaoke systems, record low levels of household purchasing.

Kids use electronic devices an average of roughly three days per week with non-portable televisions (5.8 days), cell phones (4.3 days) and digital video recorders (4.1 days) registering the highest usage. Generally speaking, device use frequency has decreased over time.

Kids’ Versions of CE Products

As observed in the prior 2005 and 2006 studies, kids’ versions of all electronic products show strong performance vis-à-vis their adult counterparts. According to the report, children are using kids’ versions at a younger age and more frequently. However, with the exception of video games, the adult versions of electronics show higher penetration than do the children’s version of the same product.

Though a majority of parents indicate they would be interested in a branded kids’ version of an electronic device, the level of interest has declined—from 83 percent in 2006 to 74 percent in 2007.

For more information at http://www.npd.com