I know someone who bought a Gerber multi-tool for his young teenage son and it was almost impossible to close the blade without serious risk of loosing a finger or two...
I think that depends on the model, my son (12) has a
Gerber Octane and I haven't encountered any problems using any of the tools and he is quite happy with it (plus he likes the one-hand opening pliers). On the other hand, a friend of mine just got the
Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Multi-Tool and I found some of the tools were noticeably more difficult to use.
Personally, I like the minimalist aspect of the Skeletool and, if I needed to buy a new EDC tool again today I'd stick with the Skeletool for my needs.