Children influence buying patterns, poll says

Filipino children have taken control—of their digital lives, at least—and can influence the purchasing patterns of their guardians, according to the New Generations 2012 survey of Cartoon Network.

“We found that Filipino children are clear about what they want and don’t want,” says Duncan Morris, vice president for research and market development for Turner International Asia Pacific Ltd.

The Turner group’s portfolio includes Cartoon Network.

Morris says Filipino children have firm preferences on what gadgets they like to use, what TV shows they like to watch, and what activities they want to do.

In terms of access to gadgets, the Internet and related technology, Filipino children are ahead of their peers in more developed countries in Asia-Pacific, according to the survey.

In short, they love using gadgets, whether they are borrowed, hand-me-down or their own. No wonder parents are considering buying computers, mobile phones and tablet computers in the next 12 months, as shown in the survey results.

Guardians may also find it assuring that the survey shows Filipino children crave physical activities (going to theme parks, sports and dancing, among others) about as much as virtual ones—at least according to the survey, Morris says.

“The findings show young Pinoys not only have the know-how in the digital space, but increasingly have the tools to consume and experience media across multiple platforms—from TV to PC, from their tablet to phone,” Morris says.

The survey shows that two-thirds of children (aged 7 to 14) in the Philippines own a mobile phone, which is more than their counterparts in Australia and Taiwan. There also has been a 71-percent leap in Philippine ownership levels since 2009, says a recent study by Cartoon Network on children’s lifestyles.

According to the study, current ownership levels are at 65 percent. This positions the next generation of Filipinos as one of the most connected in the whole of Asia-Pacific.

More than half of the children surveyed from urban centers across the Philippines now live in Internet-enabled homes, which is a 66-percent jump since the last time the study was conducted three years ago.

Those that do not have Internet at home gain access outside, say, in Internet cafes.

Filipino children are also adept at switching between screens and devices. Over a third (38 percent) watch TV on a flat-panel screen; 54 percent have access to a digital camera; and 20 percent have a smartphone within reach.

The latest gadget to break into the market since the last study is the tablet and, already, 16 percent of homes have one.

The Internet is an increasingly large virtual playground for Filipino kids, with 82 percent of those living in homes with a computer going online every week.

Gaming continues to be the top Internet pastime with 58 percent of Internet users playing games daily. Catching up quickly in popularity are social networking sites, with 52 percent of kids surveyed logging on every day.

Even as mobile and device ownership surges, television continues to claim top spot as the favorite medium among young Filipinos.

In an average week, 99 percent of kids claimed to have watched TV, 76 percent accessed the Internet, 40 percent listened to the radio, 13 percent read newspapers, and 9 percent read magazines.

The New Generations 2012 study was based on face-to-face, in-home interviews with 1,000 randomly selected children from Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, across socio-economic classes A, B, C and D.

Metro Manila respondents made up 80 percent of the sample, Metro Cebu, 10 percent, and Metro Davao, 10 percent.