Survey: One in four kids have their own game console

Back when I was a young'un, I was lucky to scrounge an hour or so a day on my dad's Apple II (that is, when I wasn't hiking to school through six feet of snow, etc.). But according to a new study, it turns out that a quarter of today's kids not only play video games, they also have their own gaming consoles, among other cool gadgets.

Indeed, the recent NPD Group survey also found that 37 percent of kids aged 4 to 14 who use a portable gaming console (such as the Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP) actually own them—or rather, their parents and/or generous family member/friend gave them one. (And in nine out of ten cases, it was brand new.) The figure for personal media players: 30 percent.

I have to say, I was surprised by those figures—and I can't help but feel a twinge of envy. Back when I was the same age as the target group in NPD survey, it was the late '70s/early '80s (you do the math), and my idea of a portable media player was a big, four-pound Radio Shack cassette deck with five "D" batteries and a mono ear bud.

And 3-D gaming, even of the PlayStation 2 variety? Please. We pretty much had to do with "Space Invaders" and "Galaga." (You can't tell that I'm turning 40 next week, can you?)

Anyway, on with the survey, which found (among other things) that a third of parents plan on buying their kids some type of consumer electronics device in the next year—probably an "educational toy" for the little ones, while the older kids were more likely to get a cell phone or a digital camera.

Speaking of cell phones, the survey found that kids haven't just embraced them, they've also "migrated away" from using them just for talking—in fact, a full 46 percent of kids are well versed in the art of text messaging.

That's not to say that mere chatting on a cell phone isn't still popular with kids; I was impressed the other day to see a neighborhood grade-schooler—maybe 10ish—casually walking and talking on her clamshell. Probably not that uncommon a sight, but still, it gets me every time.

So, question for the parents: Do your kids have their own gaming consoles, laptops, cell phones, and the like? 

Related:
Kids' Use of Consumer Electronics Devices Such as Cell Phones, Personal Computers and Video Game Platforms Continue to Rise [NPD Group]