‘Hand-me up’ trend emerging in Aussie families as kids own newer devices and have more tech knowledge than parents
Forget ‘hand-me downs’, Aussie parents are coming to grips with the notion of ‘hand-me ups’, according to new Optus researchi which reveals Australia’s mums and dads now have to wait in line for their children’s cast-offs when it comes to technology like old mobile phones and tablets.
While dads rule the roost for the number of devices owned, it’s the kids who enjoy the luxury of the latest mod-cons, with the younger generation owning the newest versions of tech such as mobile handsets and laptops in the majority (58 per cent) of families. Nearly four in ten parents (38 per cent) are still living in the technology dark ages and are yet to update their mobile handset to a smartphone, with 12 per cent stating they ‘fear’ their kids would be jealous if they owned better devices as the main reason not to upgrade.
The research also suggests that parents are fed up with being lumbered at the bottom of the pile for device ownership with half (48 per cent) wishing they could update their devices more regularly and eight out of ten parents (80 per cent) stating they would like to receive a technology device as a gift. New tablets are the item most in-demand (41 per cent), followed by laptops (30 per cent), smartphones (28 per cent), e-Readers (17 per cent) and desktop PCs (13 per cent).
Dr Kristy Goodwin, Director of Every Chance to Learn, regularly delivers parent seminars and workshops on how today’s children learn and develop in the digital age. Commenting on the Optus research she says, “The new ‘digital generation’ are up to speed on the latest devices, expect instant access and want to be connected ‘anywhere, anytime’. Parents, who are often less digitally savvy are struggling to keep up with both technology and their children’s device ownership and are ending up with their second-hand cast-offs.”
“The Optus study mirrors concerns that are raised in the parent seminars I deliver where parents don’t know how they can possibly keep up with their children’s tech prowess. But rather than feeling frustrated, parents should embrace their kids’ technical skills and use it as an opportunity to bond, ask questions and remedy IT issues at home.”
By waiting for their children’s ‘hand-me ups’ parents are fast being knocked off their pedestal as the family tech expert. In 68 per cent of households dads aren’t the most knowledgeable about technology and are being superseded by the younger, savvier generation. It’s the kids who are now called upon to fix modern family IT woes such as syncing email accounts from one device to another and loading social media accounts to mobile handsets.
While dads might consider themselves hard done by, it’s in fact mums who find themselves as the dumping ground for the oldest tech, with half of mums (53 per cent) owning non-smart mobile phones between two to five years old compared to 38 per cent of dads.
Parental longing for newer technology isn’t surprising given the condition of devices passed on within families leaves much to be desired, with 45 per cent having experienced technical issues with tech previously owned by another family member. Typically the problem is the lack of instructions, so they don’t know how to use the device properly (26 per cent), the device being scratched (22 per cent), it not functioning properly (11 per cent) or worse still, packing-in completely (8 per cent).
Commenting on the emerging ‘hand-me up’ trend, Nathan Rosenberg, Head of Brand at Optus said, “Long gone are the days where kids waited eagerly until mum or dad bought a new phone or laptop so they could get their hands on the old one. Today’s ‘digital generation’ are privy to new technology and how it works before their parents and are fast ousting them as the family CIO – which is much to the their dismay!”
For parents fed up waiting in line for their kid’s technology cast-offs, Optus is launching a range of new value prepaid plans on the Samsung Galaxy Express (4G)ii, LG Optimus F5 (4G) Sony Xperia Go (3G) and Nokia 301 Bolt (3G). Further information is available here: https://www.optus.com.au/shop/prepaidmobile
Media contact Fuel Communications (02) 02 8217 6500
i Survey of 1,256 parents of children aged 12-30 years, distributed throughout Australia including both capital city and noncapital between 23 and 29 April, 2013
ii 4G coverage is available in selected areas. Visit https://www.optus.com.au/network/mobile/4g
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