Around three quarters of Britons oppose the idea of giving children under 12 a mobile phone. This is despite the fact that most of them aready own one, according to a study carried out by online mobile retailer Recombu.com.
A study of 2,000 people showed that expensive bills and internet use without parental control were some of the reasons for adults feeling not comfortable about children owning mobiles.
At the same time, over 10% of them would buy their child a mobile as a reward for good behaviour, or for good performance at school.
Around 90% think that it a good idea if children have a phone in case of emergency.
However, Recombu.com found that 79% of the 7 to 11-year-olds already own mobiles.
Hannah Bouckley editor of Recombu said it was reassuring for parents to be in constant contact with their children, but there are clearly concerns about just how careful a young child will be with their own mobile phone. Bouckley added, "It is important for parents to sit down with their kids to discuss the responsibilities that come with the phone and set clear limits for its usage from the outset."
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