Half of UK 10 year olds own a smartphone - 9group

Ofcom’s Children’s Media Use and Attitudes Report 2019 has revealed some staggering figures. The study based on around 3,500 interviews with children and parents revealed some staggering figures:

• 50% of 10 year olds have a smart phone
• 24% of 3 and 4 year olds have their own tablet
• 67% of the children use Smart TVs
• 80% of the children watched video-on-demand
• Almost 1/5 of 12-15 year olds used social media to express social activism
• 1 in 10 12-15 year olds signed petitions on social media

Youngsters are using social media to have their voices heard, this has been labelled by the report the ‘Greta Thunberg effect’. And with young people focussing on the impact of our actions on the environment, the internet is proving to be the biggest platform for education and discussion, driving these topics to the forefront of their minds.

Parents are keen to ensure that the internet is a safe place for their children, with parents being more likely to speak to their children about how to stay safe online. Ofcom’s Strategy and Research Group Director, Yih-Choung Teh, spoke on child safety online:

Today’s children have never known life without the internet, but two million parents now feel the internet causes them more harm than good.

So it’s encouraging that parents, carers and teachers are now having more conversations than ever before with children about online safety. Education and stronger regulation will also help children to embrace their digital independence, while protecting them from the risks.

You can view the full report on Ofcom’s website.