One in Three UK Children Has Their Own Tablet

Student on tablet iPad school universityOne in three children in the UK now has their own tablet computer, a figure which has almost doubled since last year.

The figure comes from Ofcom, whose study found that 34 per cent of children aged five to 15 had their own tablet, rather than using a device belonging to one of their parents or their school, up from 19 per cent in 2013.

62 per cent of children now use a tablet at home, up from 42 per cent in 2013, while 11 per cent of children aged between three and four have their own tablet, up from just three per cent in 2013.

42 per cent of children between five and 15 are using a tablet to go online, while the proportion of children using a PC, laptop or netbook to access the internet actually dropped three points from 2013, to 88 per cent.

The rise in tablet use by children may be a contributing factor to the decline in children with a TV set in their bedrooms, which has decreased from 66 per cent in 2009 to 46 per cent in 2014.

“Ofcoms latest report on media use amongst families reveals the under-15s to be intuitive users of new technologies,” said Adrian Baschnonha, lead telecoms analyst at Ernst & Young. “The tablet is the gateway to the digital environment for the young with many children stating their preference of socialising online rather than watching TV. To remain relevant, service providers need to regularly review their service offering to ensure their residential packages continue to cater for changing family media needs and habits.

“Todays research also highlights, once again, the importance of online safety features and the need to ensure these are offered by service providers with the aim of reassuring parents and helping to protect children.”