NEW YORK-Nearly half of 10- to 18-year-old Americans use cell phones, and nearly one-third of them are subscribers of Verizon Wireless, according to a study from GfK NOP Technology.
The results from the research firm’s annual mKids survey, which was released Tuesday, found that U.S. teens and tweens represent a total market value of $10.7 billion. Verizon Wireless leads carriers with 30 percent of the coveted market, while Cingular Wireless saw its market share drop 5 percent to 27 percent during the past year.
More than half of those interviewed for the study play games on their phones, and more than one-third download new games. Interestingly, 52 percent said they use their handsets’ calendars or organizers.
“The teen and tween market is a critical one for wireless providers to capture, with 70 percent of its value coming from kids who spend more than $50 per month on their phone service,” said Ben Rogers, GfK NOP Technology’s vice president. “Clearly, the days when parents admonished their kids to use cell phones only for emergencies are over. Now, cell phones are a staple of teen and tween life, not only for calling friends and family, but also for a range of other activities.”
The GfK NOP survey contrasts slightly with a report released in July by M:Metrics. That study found Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. to be the carriers of choice for older teens and young adults-the most voracious consumers of mobile content.
