Most children take their mobile phone to bed

It’s been reported that over 50% of children sleep with their mobile phone beside their bed.

This figure came about from a survey carried out by Childwise.

A majority of children now own a mobile phone by the time they are just 7 years old! The average time spent on them is a hefty 3 hours 20 minutes per day! (Based on an age group of 7 – 16 year olds).

Unfortunately, mobiles can dominate the lives of children. From the survey 57% have their phone at their bedside and 44% admit they feel uncomfortable when without phone signal.

Additionally, 42% say they are never without their phone and never switch it off.

Smart phones are not only the hub for adults but also for children. Online entertainment, social media, music and chat apps are just a handful of the most popular apps used.

The internet is so easily accessible and it has become a part of young people’s lives.

YouTube came out on top with some of the most searched for videos starting with ‘funny’ and ‘how to.’ YouTube is used daily by 61% of children mostly accessing this from a mobile.

Others which followed are Snapchat, Instagram, Tik Tok and WhatsApp.

YouTube and Netflix came out on top for watching videos and programmes.

Approximately one fifth watch programmes on a TV, reflecting that the majority now resort to online services.

This can make it extremely difficult for parents to monitor their children’s activity, especially as mobile devices and the internet is so embedded into daily life.

There are apps and restrictions you can put in place to try to monitor your child’s activity, although not everyone is in favour of these options. Having a boundary between privacy and security can be the main difficulty, especially as children enter their teenage years.

What are your views on this topic? Perhaps you’re a parent who can share how you handle technology in your household? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to comment below to share any ideas or tips.