What UK teenagers spend their money on

The Office for National Statistics has published some information on children’s spending (i.e., where children spend their money, and how much), here and here. The data reveals that teenage girls (13 to 15 years old) spend an average of £20.20 a week, whereas teenage boys spend an average of £17.30 a week. That’s nearly … Continue reading What UK teenagers spend their money on

Use of screens among young children

Since today is World Television Day (yes, there really is a day for everything!), I thought that I would share with you some findings from the report “The Common Sense Census: Media Use By Kids Age Zero To Eight’, looking at media use by young children in the US. You can access the report here. … Continue reading Use of screens among young children

Protecting the rights of children as consumers of digital technology

There is a new initiative in the UK, the iRights, proposing guiding principles for the design and operation of digital spaces used by children, so that these young users of digital technology can fully benefit from the opportunities presented by digital technologies. I think that these principles are really helpful in moving the debate away … Continue reading Protecting the rights of children as consumers of digital technology

Young children’s use of tablets and mobile apps

The University of Sheffield has released the early findings from an ongoing study looking at the use of tablets and apps by children aged up to 5 years old. You can learn more about the project, and download the report, here. Some aspects of the study are debatable (e.g., the classification of the apps mixes … Continue reading Young children’s use of tablets and mobile apps

Who needs a phone, anyway?

Oh, I love this – it is a screenshot of this man’s 13 year old daughter’s iPhone home screen. Within easy reach are: Camera Instagram Text messaging Web browser Less accessible (i.e., tucked away within a folder) are: iTunes Pinterest Snapchat Youtube And nowhere to be seen: Facebook and… Phone! I suspect this reflects the … Continue reading Who needs a phone, anyway?