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September 7, 2005
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V.Smile Canadian Launch
A COMPAS Report for VTech Electronics
In an era where video games may contain violence, hidden pornographic scenes, and white supremacist messages, some Canadian parents of young children might be expected to have concerns about video game usage. In practice, three-quarters (76%) of parents with children aged 3-8 are indeed concerned that the content of many video games is inappropriate for young children. More than four-fifths (81%) believe that children spend too much time playing video games. These are some of the key findings from a national survey of n=500 parents of children aged 3-8 conducted by COMPAS on behalf of VTech Electronics.

While parents may be concerned about video games in general, they are highly receptive to educational video games. Strong majorities (i.e. over 85%) take the view that:
  • video games should be both entertaining and educational,
  • parents would buy video games that motivate children to get more involved in learning, and
  • playing educational video games could be helpful for a child's development.

More than half of parents surveyed (53%) take the position that any potential videogame product ought to provide their child with reading and writing skills.

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