Share Of UK Kids With Mobile Phones Higher Than Global Average

Mobile technologies are becoming increasingly popular among children in the UK, with the share of 10-year-olds having a personal mobile phone significantly outpacing the global average, according to a report that I came across today.

The study, commissioned by Marketing Store in 12 countries, revealed that 73% of UK kids have a mobile device at the age of 10 against an international average of 45%. The findings place the UK second in terms of mobile technology use among children, after Poland, which has a higher share of 83%. By comparison, the share of 10-year-olds having their own mobile is 31% in the US, while in France it is just 10%.

The study follows recent research carried out by YouGov, which revealed that about 1.2 million children in the UK have opened websites with violence or pornographic content through their devices.

The new research, conducted among over 4,000 children aged between six and 12, also showed that phones were popular among UK children aged between six and eight, with 24% of them already being mobile. According to Siobhan Freegard, of parenting website Netmums, the early use of mobile devices could stem from the fact that Britain is not as family focused as some other countries.

On a global scale, phones are used for sending videos by 16% of kids, while 15% send pictures and 13% visit social platforms via mobile device.