Tablets not as popular among college students
Tablets have not proved as popular as originally anticipated Photo Credit: cnn.com
By Kenneth Lewis, Staff Writer
With all the commercials and innovations surrounding tablets by companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft, you would expect this device to be extremely popular with students. Advertisers talk about its ability to help coordinate and manage group projects, clearly directed at college students and offices. However, the student demographic has not caught onto this tablet trend as much as may seem appropriate.
At Ball State University, a study showed that only 29% of students owned tablets. This low number is attributed to the fact that tablets are primarily used for entertainment purposes. Since not as many college students own them, the collaboration effect does not work well, they also do not have many of the functional needs a laptop or a PC provides. Along with this, marketers who offer coupons and free apps are no longer in control, as 58% of students said they are not interested in those kinds of things in tablets. This disinterest in the tablet can also be due to the immense popularity of the smartphone. Smartphone users are now at 89%, as opposed to the 5 1 % recorded in 2009 . They also have many similar capabilities as tablets with relation to app function and games.
Many students claim that they plan on buying a tablet after graduation, but this is due to the fact that they are thought of as more of an entertainment device that is over-priced. However, once adults with a job, they can afford to spend a little bit more on entertainment.
The tablet is not the life-changing piece of technology for a college student right now. At this point, the best thing it could offer to college students is a more convenient Netflix device.
