Nursery World - Mobile phone use soars at early age

A million children between the ages of five and nine now own a mobile phone - double the number just two years ago. The figure currently stands at 1,072,328, which is about one quarter of all five- to nine-year-olds. Young phone owners are predicted to rise to more than 1.5 million by 2007.

The figure currently stands at 1,072,328, which is about one quarter of all five- to nine-year-olds. Young phone owners are predicted to rise to more than 1.5 million by 2007.

The figures were revealed last week in a report by MobileYouth, a research consultancy that gathered data from parents, children, mobile phone companies and retailers.

The report also showed many parents are ignoring the potential health risks associated with mobile phones. The average UK child now receives their first mobile at the age of eight, despite 63 per cent of parents expressing concern about the dangers of radiation.

Graham Brown, chief executive of Wireless World Forum, the research company behind the report, said, 'Mobile ownership in the under-tens is predominantly driven by parents. Ninety per cent of parents surveyed in our report cited "child security and safety" as a reason why they purchased the phone. Parents take the view that the benefits of communication outweigh the possible pitfalls.

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