Half of American College Students Have Damaged a Smartphone

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Aug 6, 2014) - SquareTrade^®, the #1 rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers, today revealed the results of its research into American college students and their electronic devices. The study shows that half of college students in the United States have damaged a smartphone at school.(1)

"As college students are gearing up for the new school year, they are purchasing and packing their most prized possessions -- their phones, laptops, tablets, TVs and gaming consoles. This year alone, these students will take an estimated $49 billion worth of devices to school(2)," said Ty Shay, CMO at SquareTrade. "With half of American students damaging their smartphones during college, these beloved devices are at high risk of being broken or cracked this year."

Based on accident reporting, SquareTrade has identified where devices tend to break and the students that are most likely to damage their gadgets:

• Device damage hotspots: 20% of breaks happen at bars, clubs or parties. Other popular locations for students to damage their devices include the library, classroom, dorm and gym.
• From the burbs: Suburban kids damage their phones 50% more often than rural or urban kids.
• Female tech flubs: Females become clumsier with age as female students (18 years old and over) are 21% more likely to damage their smartphones than male students. Whereas, boys under 18 years old are 35% more likely to cause a tech mishap than girls under 18 years old.

To improve college student gadget protection, SquareTrade offers the following tips for a device damage-free school year:

1. Always keep devices in protective cases and covers.
2. Keep your mobile phone in your pocket or purse at parties, bars or clubs.
3. Carry your devices in backpacks or laptop bags while on campus instead of trying to use your mobile gadgets while walking. 
4. Put your mobile devices in your locker or gym bag while working out. 
5. Buy a protection plan so you're covered no matter what accident happens.

About SquareTrade
SquareTrade is the top-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers for its fast and exceptional service. SquareTrade protects mobile devices, laptops and tablets, and other consumer electronics and appliances from malfunctions, accidental damage and life's frequent mishaps. Unlike old-fashioned warranties, SquareTrade is designed for today's consumer and uses innovative technology to deliver a zero hassle claims process. SquareTrade has more than 200,000 fans on Facebook, consistently wins industry awards and receives thousands of 5-star reviews for its legendary customer service. Top retailers around the world offer SquareTrade, achieving significant sales growth and happier customers. Privately held, SquareTrade's investors include Bain Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. SquareTrade is headquartered in San Francisco and London. For more information, go to www.squaretrade.com.

SquareTrade is a registered trademark of SquareTrade, Inc.

(1) SquareTrade's College Students Survey was conducted in July 2014 using Google Consumer Survey of 541 US college students.

(2) Pricing of devices is based on proprietary data from SquareTrade. Number of US college students based on data from National Center for Education Statistics.