Australian Parents Prioritize Peace of Mind with $588 Million Back-to-School Phone Spend
As the back-to-school season approaches, more than 1.1 million Australian children are set to receive a new or upgraded phone, with parents gearing up to spend a staggering $588 million on the devices, according to new research from Life360, a leading family safety and location-sharing app.
Despite the financial strain, the research suggests that for parents, it’s a worthwhile investment in their children’s safety and well-being. The top reasons cited for purchasing phones include reaching kids quickly in emergencies (82%), facilitating communication with family (58%), and accessing location-sharing technology (48%).
It seems like Peace of Mind Has No Price.
The investment comes at a time when family budgets are already stretched thin, with 67% of parents of 5 to 18-year-olds admitting purchasing and running kids’ phones is a financial concern. However, the research suggests that parents view mobile devices as a necessary expense for peace of mind and safety. Notably, one-in-five children own a phone by age 10, a figure that jumps to 53% just before their teenage years.
To make the investment possible, families are allocating 40% of their back-to-school budgets to buy and run their kids’ phones. Many are adjusting their spending habits, with 25% dipping into savings, delaying other purchases (24%), cutting back on household expenses (22%), and hunting for the best promotions (24%). Some are even exploring financing plans (16%) or borrowing money (7%) to ensure their children are equipped with a device.
Growing Popularity of Location Sharing
For parents who’ve decided their child is ready for a phone, location sharing is becoming a key consideration in the back-to-school juggle. The majority of parents say it helps to reduce back-to-school stress (58%), and secondary school kids express that it makes them feel safe (73%) and increases their independence (44%).
In January 2024, Life360 saw a 50% surge in downloads around the back-to-school period. The survey reveals that in the last 12 months, 82% of parents have increased their likelihood or solidified their decision to adopt the technology. This trend is largely driven by a desire to give children greater autonomy (38%), along with heightened local safety concerns (35%), children asking their parents to have their location (20%), and the need to manage longer working hours or time spent away from home (18%).
Nearly half of those who use location sharing (48%) say they do so to ensure their children arrive at school safely each day, 58% rely on it to manage emergencies, and 35% use it to let their children try new activities independently. Beyond safety, location sharing is proving to be an invaluable organizational tool for busy families. Forty-four percent of parents who use location sharing do so to streamline school pick-ups and drop-offs, while 31% say it reduces the need for frequent check-ins with their children throughout the day, providing both convenience and peace of mind.
Collett Smart, psychologist and teen expert, commented on the findings: “Managing the balance between fostering independence in a new school year and keeping kids safe can feel complicated for parents – and increasingly the nuanced conversation around the dos and don’ts of managing kids’ phone use is sitting at the centre of this juggle.”
“This year, despite the strain on family budgets, the survey suggests parents are set on providing their child with a phone, with location-sharing playing a key part of this peace-of-mind driven decision. Apps like Life360 are slowly becoming a modern safety net for busy families – but it should be used transparently and with trust, ultimately empowering children to explore their independence confidently as the new school year begins.”
Life360 is a popular chose for family location sharing. You’ll find more information at Life360.com.
