Parents fail to monitor childrens’ use of mobile phones

New research highlights the extent to which mobile phones have become a must-have gadget for children of all ages, with over half (52 per cent) of three to 15 year olds regularly using one. However, the findings indicate some parents remain lax when it comes to monitoring how their children use it.

Shockingly, the study by moneysupermarket.com, reveals that nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of three to six year olds use a mobile phone, pointing to the fact that children are starting to use technology earlier and earlier these days. By the time they are 15, figures show almost every child in the UK has a mobile (94 per cent of all 13-15 year olds).

Whilst most parents place restrictions on how much their children spend on calls and texts, with over three-quarters (76 per cent) only allowing their children to have a pay-as-you-go phone, many are more relaxed about their children’s mobile use. For example, only 36 per cent of parents said they actively restricted their children from accessing the internet and just 31 per cent intentionally bar premium rate phone numbers.

The research also shows just a third (32 per cent) of parents don’t allow their children to download ring-tones and wallpapers, which can cost up to £3.50 per download.

Rob Barnes, head of mobiles and broadband at moneysupermarket.com, said: “Buying a mobile phone for your child can provide peace of mind, as it makes them easily contactable. However, there are a number of factors parents should consider.

“After purchasing the phone, take heed of warnings regarding internet access and look into whether filters can be placed onto your child’s mobile in-order to bar access to specific sites.
“Buying your child a mobile phone is a difficult decision, and I believe there has not yet been enough development in the market to offer sufficient protection. With more children using mobile phones I would like to see more restrictions in place from the networks to prevent them being exploited.”

Tips and products for parents to consider when buying a mobile phone for their child:

Pay as you go – T-mobile pay-as-you-go customers can request an online breakdown of all mobile phone calls and monitor the cost of their bill whilst also being aware of who they are calling.

Tracking Services – There are a number of different tracking services on the market allowing parents to locate their child through their mobile phone.

Eazytrack has a pay-as-you-go phone costing £99.00 which includes 12 months tracking (worth £30) www.eazytrack.com

Childlocate is a package which parents can buy to track their children. It can be used on top of existing mobile phone deals (except for 3 and Virgin mobile). There is an annual service charge of £69.95, and the package allows a maximum of five registered phones to track. By texting the phone, parents can get a map or their location back to their mobile phone or computer. For £4.95, you receive 33 credits, the price per location is 45p and the price per SMS is 15p. For 266 credits the pack is £19.95 and the locations costs are 22.5p, the SMS price is 7.5p. www.childlocate.co.uk

ikids satellite phone – parents can use this phone to track where their children are. These phones receive incoming calls and can only make outgoing calls to four pre-set numbers.

Parents should register the user as a child with the provider. This prevents them from accessing material provided by the mobile operator or its partners that is rated unsuitable for children.

Parents should also be wary of phones with internet access – you will need to ask the operator to activate the internet filter to stop your child accessing unsuitable material. This does not cover chatrooms for example, which will need to be moderated by parents