Filipino Kids Most Connected in the Asia Pacific Region – Study

The younger generation is increasingly becoming connected, as evident with the popularity of online services geared toward children. A recent study conducted by Cartoon Network has found out that in Asia, Filipino children are the most connected among their contemporaries from other surveyed countries.

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According to Cartoon Network’s New Generations 2012 study, mobile phone ownership among kids in the Philippines has risen 71% from 38% in 2009 to 65% this year. This ratio is even higher than more developed economies like Taiwan and Australia, with 22% and 42%, respectively.

Further, 82% of Filipino children access the Internet at least once a week, while 37% get online on a daily basis. More than half of Filipino children surveyed were found to live in Internet-enabled homes.

The study also took into account different “screens” used for consuming media. 38% of Filipino children watch television on a flat-screen LCD or LED set. 54% have access to a digital camera (up from 42% in 2009), and 63% have access to a notebook or desktop computer at home (up from 47% in 2009).

16% of children have access to tablets at home — such as the Apple iPad and a number of Android-powered tablet computers.

Aside from mobile use and web access, Filipino kids were also found to be fond of other online activities, including online gaming (58%), social networking (52%), music (41%) and photo sharing (23%). A good number use the Internet to do homework, at 28%.

However, most still prefer TV to the Internet, with 99% saying they watch TV, over 76% who regularly go online. Meanwhile, in terms of other media consumption, 70% read books, 53% lsiten to CDs and digital music, while almost half watch DVDs and other video. Newspaper and magazine readership are at a paltry 13% and 9%, though.

The study shows that young Filipinos “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,” says Duncan Morris, vice president of research and market development at Turner International Asia Pacific. The study is the fifth of a series of surveys done in the region to determine the preferences and opinions of children aged seven to 14. The survey was done among 1,000 respondents in the Philippines, Japan, Australia, India, Taiwan, and Singapore.