Adults taking advantage of hand-me-up high tech from younger generation

You don’t always have to buy brand new to join the tech age ... just ask the kids!

Your children always insist that they need the latest gadgets, gizmos and tech and it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the changing times.

But what about when you need the latest piece of kit? Should you necessarily buy from new or is there an alternative?

Well, yes!

You don’t always have to fork out hundreds of pounds just to keep up with the kids.

More than half of UK parents inherit their youngster’s ‘hand-me-up’ tech devices instead of buying brand-new.

New study

A new study by computer refurbishment specialists, EuroPC, has found that 56 per cent of UK parents inherit their children’s discarded gadgets instead of buying brand-new

Smartphones are the most popular ‘hand-me-up’ device passed onto parents by their youngsters (81 per cent).

To save money was listed as the most common answer why parents prefer to use their children’s second-hand tech as opposed to buying brand-new (83 per cent)

In the hopes of discovering more about the pecking order of technology within British families, the team at www.europc.co.uk surveyed 2,200 UK adults over the age of 40, all of whom are tech users and have children aged between 12 and 25, revealing that 56 per cent of these parents – more than half – inherit their youngster’s ‘hand-me-up’ devices instead of buying brand-new.

It was also found that just over one third of parents have even received a ‘hand-me-up’ present from their children for a special occasion, with 11 per cent admitting they’d been given a tech ‘cast-off’ for Christmas and a further eight per cent saying they were gifted one for their birthday. But what are the popular hand-me-ups?

The most popular ‘hand-me-ups’ which were passed onto parents by their youngsters were found to be:

1 Smartphones – 81 per cent

2 Laptops – 72 per cent

3 Tablets – 65 per cent

4 Kindles – 41 per cent

5 Desktop PCs – 28 per cent

Why have second hand tech?

When asked why parents prefer to use their children’s second-hand tech as opposed to buying brand-new devices, the most common answers were listed as follows ...

To save money – 83 per cent

I don’t want or need the very latest technology – 69 per cent

The gadgets are still in a perfectly usable condition – 51 per cent

To give otherwise wasted gadgets a second lease of life – 22 per cent

Additionally, more than two thirds of parents admitted they’re purposely spending less on technology as household budgets are squeezed amid the cost-of-living crisis, so inheriting their youngster’s discarded gadgets helps them save money by not upgrading to the latest devices (67 per cent).

That being said, two fifths of parents also confessed they’d previously dipped into their savings to buy their children the latest gadgets, while a fifth used credit cards to cover the costs.

Therefore, almost three quarters parents said they would rather make use of those slightly worn devices when their youngsters choose to upgrade (74 per cent).

What an expert thinks

Alan Gilmour, managing director of www.europc.co.uk, commented on the findings.

“It really is a no-brainer for British families to pass on their still desirable, high-tech gadgets that they don’t want any more to their relatives – this not only saves money in the long run but gives otherwise wasted gadgets a second lease of life as well.

Also, reusing tech devices helps the environment by saving energy and potentially keeping toxic materials out of landfills.”