Technology Costs Kids £383 A Year

By Alison Steed

Children are spending around £383 a year on computer equipment, computer games, music downloads and mobile phones to maintain their lifestyle, according to research from Halifax.

Those in London are spending the most, at £602 a year, more than double the £237 spent in Wales, £240 in East Anglia, £287 in the East Midlands, and £294 in the South West.

Children in London also receive more than double the annual pocket money (£561.08) of those in East Anglia (£255.32), East Midlands (£262.08) and South West (£234). Wales is the exception at £288.60.

Computer games or equipment are the most expensive purchases at £140.92 a year, and two-fifths of children download music at a cost of £137.97 per year. Three quarters of children own a mobile phone, with bills averaging £104.04 per year

Children need an additional £1.13 per week on top of pocket money to cover their annual technology expenditure.

More than nine-tenths of children (91%) own a games console, with ownership increasing to 95% amongst boys, compared to only 87% of girls.

Children spend £2.71 per week equating to £140.92 a year on computer games or equipment, dominating the pocket money purse strings. This figure increases to £3.77 amongst boys, compared to just £1.47 with girls. Children in London are the highest spenders at £4.72 per week, compared to only £1.17 in East Anglia.

Almost three quarters of children own an iPod or MP3 player. This figure increases to four-fifths of 12-15 year olds, compared to just over three-fifths of 8-11 year olds. Two-fifths of children also download music from the internet although this is much more popular among the older children aged 12-15 years than with the 8-11 year olds.

Three quarters of children own a mobile phone with this figure increasing to a nine in ten children aged 12-15, compared to just over half of 8-11 year olds. The average phone bill is £8.67 a month, £0.29 more than last year (£8.38) and equating to £104.04 per year.

Phone bills are highest amongst 12-15 year olds at £9.85 per month and lowest for those aged 8-11 at £6.41. On a regional basis mobile phone bills are higher in London at £10.77, followed by the North West at £9.40, but are lower in the South West at £6.51 and Scotland at £7.43.

But in three quarters of cases, parents end up footing the bill.

Flavia Palacios Umana, senior manager, Halifax savings products, said: "Many parents will be footing the portable entertainment bill directly or indirectly through additional pocket money contributions. However, it is very pleasing to see that some children are getting into the savings habit at an early age by saving up their pocket money to buy the latest ‘must-have' technology items."