Report shows mobile marketeers targeting under-10s
Interesting or disturbing ... guess it's the way you look at it. But a study by a Sydney university has found the age at which children are becoming first-time mobile users is dropping.
Now as a parent and a mobile-geek, I can see both sides of the coin here.
But when you really look at it, what does a 9 year old need a mobile phone for? If it's the need for a hand-held device that entertains, get them a LeapFrog or something - geez my 7 year old loves playing games on my iriver u10! A mate of mine has even used his Nokia N70 as a portable video unit for his kids - loading full quality (albeit well compressed) episodes of the Simpsons onto it!
It's very interesting to see how the marketing companies are pitching the phone really as an entertainment device only to this age segment. Then when the mobile-kids get into their teens, they start spending up to $600 / month on phone bills.
I don't mind young kids entertaining themselves with hand-held units / game devices, but perhaps the mobile phone ain't the device to do it. That's just Mr Dad talking.
posted by Dale Rankine @ 8:14 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I think there's a lot of odd data floating around about kids and technology right now. I heard an interview a few days back with a lady from Discovery Mobile (ie. Discovery Channel.) She was discussing their mobile offering--3-5 minute video clips from their most popular shows--and was almost apologetic about the fact that Discovery might not be able to target the "typical mobile audience" with these offerings. These "typical" users apparently being kids. As if the rest of the 'adult' world was not consuming mobile services at all! I think all this speaks to the mainstream (American?) view of mobile content as news, sports, music or games. And since kids don't consume the first two that much, that leaves mp3s, games, ringtones (more music) and wallpapers (pop idols, movie stars) which admittedly, kids/tweens/teens do consume 'en masse.' Enter the MVNOs....:-)
(More links here...http://del.icio.us/yiibu/mobile-kids)
This is especially true in Japan. DoCoMo is trying to capture that market space.
Nothing new. Apple's been doing this for years on the desktop.
... none of this is even remotely as diabolical as some of the tobacco campaigns in past years. I won't go there.
True, it's not like they're pushing crack or anything.
DoCoMo even has little toys and school bags for kids ... I've seen'em on ebay.
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