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Nearly a quarter of UK five-to-seven-year-olds now have their own smartphone, Ofcom research suggests.
Social media use also rose in the age group over last year with nearly two in five using messaging service WhatsApp, despite its minimum age of 13.
The communications regulator warned parental enforcement of rules “appeared to be diminishing.”
It also said the figures should be a “wake up call” for the industry to do more to protect children.
In its annual study of children’s relationship with the media and online worlds, Ofcom said the percentage of children aged between five and seven who used messaging services had risen from 59% to 65%.
The number on social media went up from 30% to 38%, while for livestreams it increased from 39% to 50%. Just over 40% are reported to be gaming online - up from 34% the year before.
Over half of children under 13 used social media, contrary to most of the big platforms’ rules, and many admitted to lying to gain access to new apps and services.
I can’t see a benefit of a 5 year old having a smart phone at all
Hard agree here, I couldn’t imagine my 6 yo having a smartphone or tablet. When we have screen time, we watch TV, movies, or play video games together.
My kids don’t, but some neighbor kids have them as basic gps/texting for their parents.
Gps to know where they are, and texting to go home for dinner. I’ve never seen them browsing or calling.
My grandma used to lock the door and tell my dad to come home at dinner back in St. Louis suburbs in the 70’s. You gotta let kids roam and be free to an extent.
Yeah I spent probably 80% of my childhood out of the house around the neighborhood, at the park, playing with random kids who happened to be around, exploring, riding bikes, walking around town, finding cool new spots in the woods, finding old playing cards with pictures of risqué ladies stashed in a tree somewhere. No direct adult supervision.
The rule was to be back by dinner, or to call from a friend’s house with a good reason for being late.
I frankly think the world is a lot safer now than it was then, so it’s really sad that this isn’t as common in the US anymore.
Even i grew up that way 20 years ago. My parents are super chill and outgoing so they are always friends with everyone in the neighborhood. They knew who we liked to play with and where we likely were so they only had to make a couple calls to get us home in an emergency. Even when i finally got a cell phone and a car o can’t think of too many times my parents had to call to see where i was and demand me to come home.
Like a little 5 year old? That’s wild to me
Well you dont need a smartphone for that. Plenty of “dumb phones” and senior citizens phones on the market to use for that purpose. Or hell, un-dust the old Nokia.