[March 23, 2015] |
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PlayScience Unveils New Study That Shows Parents' Digital Preferences for Their Children Are Heavily Influenced by Gender
PlayScience,
an innovation and development company focused on play and learning,
today unveiled a new study that shows parents perceptions about their
child's technology and media use is heavily influenced by their child's
gender - along with device type and perceived educational value.
The PlayScience Parents and Platform Perceptions study was conducted
with a national survey of 501 parents of children between the ages of 2
and 9 years old and uncovered the following results, revealed at the
2015 Sandbox
Summit at MIT (News - Alert):
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Girl vs. Boy Tech: For parents, gender matters when choosing a
digital platform (smartphone, tablet, kids' tablet, etc.). Parents are
three times more likely to give their son a smartphone or video game
device, and give their daughter a kid's tablet (73% vs. 65% for boys).
For girls, child-friendliness is the strongest factor in purchases for
parents, while for boys their son's preference is the primary driver.
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"Manaing" Boys: Parents are more likely to use tech to manage
their sons during notoriously difficult parenting moments. Whether
soothing them when they are upset (48% vs. 37% for girls) or getting
them to bed (42% vs. 34%), parents often pacify boys with media.
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Not All Mobile is Created Equal: Tablets (especially tablets
designed for children) are parent and child darlings, while
smartphones lag far behind. Tablets top the list for both parents and
kids at all ages, while smartphones rank at the bottom of the list of
technology they prefer to use.
"Ironically, parents have distinct and very different perceptions about
devices, even when they have almost identical content. Even more
surprising, gender plays a significant role in the platform chosen,"
said Dr. J. Alison Bryant, Co-CEO and chief play officer at PlayScience.
"This study puts parents on notice to be more attentive to their
attitudes and behaviors about their children's media use. Whether
conscious or unconscious, parents are more likely to take into
consideration their son's preferences, while seeming to be more
protective when it comes to choosing for their daughter."
Dr. Bryant, along with Co-CEO and President Paul Levine, unveiled the
findings today at Sandbox Summit, an annual conference focused on how
play intersects with learning, entertainment, and technology to
positively impact the lives of children. PlayScience hosts Sandbox
Summit, produced in partnership with MIT's Education Arcade and
Comparative Media Studies.
Link to study excerpts: presentation
About PlayScience
PlayScience is an innovation and development company that partners with
brands to create and launch new consumer experiences in play, learning
and entertainment. The company is focused on helping partners scale
businesses and grow customer relationships with end-to-end solutions
starting with understanding consumers and trends, creating the strategy
and plan, to the actual design and development of products. www.playsciencelab.com
@playscience
#Sandbox15
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