Apple's famous tablet, the iPad, has been ranked as the number one brand for American kids between the ages of 6 to 12 years old in a recent study, CNET reported.
Surprisingly, the device was considered more popular than other well-established household brands such as McDonalds and Disney.
The study was conducted by family and youth research firm Smarty Pants and involved more than 6,000 child participants. In a three month period, the company rated over 260 brands based on the answers of the subjects.
For Wynne Tyree, the president of Smarty Pants, the ranking of the iPad in the study indicates how devices such as this are beginning to replace other products that previously catered to the preferences of users, according to Daily Mail.
"iPad's number one status among kids represents the culmination of the 'tablet takeover' - a movement from shared screens and TV network dominance to curated content on personal devices," she explained.
"Kids increasingly turn to iPad for games, TV shows, videos, books, homework help and family communicating with friends and family," Tyree added.
Trailing behind the iPad in the recent study are the snack brands Hershey's, Oreo, M&M's, Doritos, Cheetos and Skittles.
Disney came in at eight place followed by the streaming site YouTube and Xbox. Apple's other device, the iPod, landed on the 19th spot while the famous gaming brand PlayStation was ranked as the 33rd most popular product.
According to Tyree, the sudden rise in popularity of the iPod among kids is surprising since in the same studies conducted in the previous years, the tablet was nowhere near the number one spot, the SF Gate blog has learned.
"In just five years, the iPad has risen from the ranking 109th to being kids' favorite brand," she said. "Early on, it captured the hearts of tweens and middle and upper class families, but iPad is now an indispensable part of childhood for the masses."
