Over Four in Five Parents Cite Safety and Peace of Mind as the Top Reasons for Parents Allowing Children to Have Cell Phones

New York, NY - Nine in ten parents believe safety is the top reason to allow children to have cell phones, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Duracell, a leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries. The survey of parents with at least one child under 18 shows that 90% of parents think that safety or in case of an emergency is the primary reason parents allow their children to have cell phones. Over four in five (85%) say peace of mind knowing that they can communicate with their kids at all times is also a main reason.

However, only a third of parents (33%) say children should be allowed to have cell phones in order to connect with their friends, while only a quarter of parents (25%) say children should have cell phones to keep up with their peers. Less than one in ten (7%) say other parents encourage them to give their kids cell phones; while 2% report none of the above reasons.

In terms of the appropriate age for cell phone ownership, more than three-quarters of parents (78%) think it is ok for children to have a cell phone by age 15. However, less than a third of parents (32%) say it is ok for children to have a cell phone by age 12 - including 4% who say it is ok between 7 to 9 years old, and 1% who say 6 years old or younger is ok.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted July 19-23, 2010. For the survey, a national sample of 1,003 parents with at least one child under the age of 18 living at home from Ipsos' U.S. online panel were interviewed online. Quota sampling and weighting were employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. adult population according to Census data and to provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of 1,003 respondents, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire adult population of the United States with children this age been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

Poll results show parents' attitudes differ depending on the age of their children.

• Parents with children ages 13-17 are more likely to say children are allowed to have cell phones in order to connect with their friends than are parents with children under age 12 (40% vs. 29%).

However, both moms and dads have similar opinions on the topic:

• Moms and dads each say safety is the main reason parents allow their kids to have cell phones (91% and 89%), in addition to the peace of mind that having their child carry a cell phone brings (85% for both moms and dads).
• In addition, moms and dads are in agreement that by age 15 it is ok for children to have cell phones (78% vs. 79%).

Three-quarters of parents (73%) also say they feel their kids are safer if they have a cell phone, particularly parents of older children. Eight in ten (80%) parents of children between the ages of 13 and 17 agree - including 47% who completely agree; in comparison, 71% of those with children between 6 and 12; and 64% of those with children 5 or younger agree.

Two-thirds of parents say children use a dead cell phone battery as an excuse not to communicate with them

Sixty three percent of parents agree that "my phone battery died" is a common excuse children use to avoid talking with their parents.

• Parents age 55 and older are especially likely to say children use a dead cell phone battery as an excuse (70% vs. 61% for parents under age 54).

While parents say their children use a dead cell phone as an excuse not to stay in touch, parents have their own battery challenges; with two-thirds of parents (64%) wishing their own cell phone was easier to keep charged so it wouldn't turn off at inopportune times - including 35% who completely agree.

Preparing children for the start of the school year is stressful for two-thirds of parents

Sixty six percent of parents agree that preparing their children for going back to school is a stressful experience.

• Moms are more likely to find the back to school experience stressful compared to dads (69% vs. 63%).
• Parents older than 55 are more likely to say preparing children for back to school is stressful (71%) compared to parents ages 35-54 (67%) and parents ages 18-34 (62%).
• Attitudes also differ by income level, with parents with a household income under $50,000 more likely to be stressed by the back to school experience than parents with household incomes over $50,000 (70% vs. 63%).

Majority of parents say their children need more items than school list indicates

Seventy percent of parents agree that their children usually need more items than what is included on the list provided by their school. Among additional items needed for the start of school, two-thirds of parents (65%) say they plan to purchase clothing for their children.

• Moms are more likely than dads to say they plan to purchase clothes for their children as part of back to school (69% vs. 62%).

Other additional back to school purchases include snacks (44%), sporting equipment (30%), electronics (28%) and educational toys (25%).

The study also found that when making purchases for their children, half of parents (50%) say quality is more important than price.

Two-thirds of parents say electronic devices are increasingly becoming part of their back to school purchases

Sixty-five percent of parents agree that electronic devices are increasingly becoming part of their back to school purchases.

Perhaps this is why more than four in ten parents (43%) say batteries are part of their purchases for the new school year.

• Dads are far more likely than moms to say batteries need to be purchased as part of back to school (48% vs. 38%).
• Parents age 55 and older are also more likely to say batteries need to be purchased for going back to school than are parents under age 55 (50% vs. 41%).

For more information on this news release, please contact: Julio C Franco Senior Research Manager Ipsos Public Affairs New York, NY 646-313-6117 [email protected]

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals that helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world. Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends to develop and test emergent or existing products or services, and build brands. They also test advertising and study audience responses to various media, and measure public opinion around the globe. They help clients create long-term relationships with their customers, stakeholders or other constituencies. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting and offers a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2009, Ipsos generated global revenues of e943.7 million ($1.33 billion U.S.).

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