• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, July 5, 2013

Fear that digital devices have become all-consuming for young children is increasingly common among both parents and traditional toy makers. As new research shows, however, there is no need for alarm.

“Everyone has anecdotes of seeing little ones on a plane or restaurant grasping a tablet and being completely absorbed in a television show or game, but that behavior is not replacing playing with a car, doll or construction set,” according to Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis at The NPD Group.

According to NPD, nearly 40% of parents feel their children are spending less time with traditional toys, while just over half (51%) say digital devices are having no impact at all on their children’s lives.

Yet, as Crupnick points out, parents and toy makers have more to fear from economic woes than any gadget. Among parents who say they spent less money on any type of play item for their kids over the past year, 54% cited the economy and less disposable income -- compared with only 24% who cited a shift to technology spending.

“One traditional play time industry, the toy industry, has been deeply concerned that technology spend and focus is drawing wallet share from traditional toys,” Crupnick said. “Although some of that might be occurring, we must also recognize that play spend for many families is also affected by unemployment, under-employment and stagnant income growth.”

Further confounding the supposed relationship between technology and play time, NPD found that heavy spenders on technology products -- those spending $200 or more a year -- are actually the most engaged traditional toy buyers. They are more likely to shop most toy categories and spend more when they do make a purchase.

Heavy tech buyers, for example, are nearly 40% more likely to also buy action figures, and, when they do, they spend 60% more per capita, according to Crupnick. “This pattern held for most toy categories.”

Across tax brackets, parents remain conflicted about the rise of digital devices. They welcome the educational potential the gadgets hold, but, as Crupnick notes, they are equally concerned that too much technology could make their kids lazy, foster unhealthy solitary experiences and lead to “over-connectedness.”

Marketers, therefore, need to walk a fine line when pitching new technology to parents. “Virtual play and traditional play can, and need to, coexist so that children can develop broader skill sets,” Crupnick said of the perfect sales pitch. “We’d expect most consumers to respond to such a message.”