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Back-to-school shopping these days often includes cell phones for kids, according to data from a mobile insurance company. Here, basketball players Jude (left) and Shoni Schimmel pose for a cell phone picture at the request of Sophie Bronson, 6,
(The Oregonian/OregonLive file photo)
Here's how deeply cell phones have worked their way into the American family: One-third of parents purchasing phones are buying for a child between the ages of 5 and 10.
That's according to a report card released this week by Asurion, a company that sells mobile protection insurance. The company also found that nearly half of the children getting a phone this back-to-school season are between the ages of 11 and 14.
How old a child should be before getting a cell phone is a hot topic among today's parents. How old was your child when he or she first got a cell phone, or how old do you think a child should be? Take our poll.
Meanwhile, here are other findings about kids and devices from Asurion:
- Nearly 30 percent of parents report their child is required to bring a tablet or laptop to school.
- While technology is not required in all schools, 60 percent of parents reported that use of personal technology is allowed in their child's school.
- Parents are most likely to purchase calculators (50 percent), tablets (32 percent), laptops (29 percent) and mobile phones (23 percent) before the start of school this fall.
-- Amy Wang
awang@oregonian.com
503-294-5914
@ORAmyW