GSMA RELEaSES New research THAT shows children’s mobile phone habits are changing
14 November 2011, London: New research released today by the GSMA and the NTT DOCOMO Mobile Society Research Institute shows that 69 per cent of children aged eight to 18 use mobile phones, with 40 per cent in the surveyed countries stating that they regularly use mobile to access the internet. The new research is third in a series of international studies on the use of mobile phones by children and which investigated more than 3,500 children and their parents in Egypt, Japan, Paraguay and India.
“This series of research gives us a real understanding over time of the changing dynamics of children’s use of mobile on a regional basis and by taking these learnings and applying them, the industry is leading the debate on how to provide a positive experience and protect young people online,” said Tom Philips, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA. “We are developing considered regulatory and self-regulatory approaches to enable safe environments for children using mobile services as well as engaging with governments, child experts, NGOs and other stakeholders in constructive policy discussions, and we encourage all of members of the mobile ecosystem to be proactive in this area.”
“For the first time, the research series explores children’s use of smartphones and their attitudes and behaviours towards social networking and privacy on their mobile phones. We know children are using social networking on mobile phones and the research shows just how prevalent this is, with 73 per cent of children who use the mobile internet using social networking services, considerably more than the 43 per cent of parents currently using it,” said Toshiya Shinozaki, director of NTT DOCOMO’s Mobile Society Research.
The research also shows that while mobile social networking use increases with age, 72 per cent of 12-year-old children who access the mobile Internet are using social networking services, despite the fact that the minimum age for many social networking sites, including Facebook, is 13. The research indicates that children are aware and responsible in their social networking activities, with 80 per cent of children protecting their social networking profile by limiting the viewing of their profile to friends or friends of friends.
Mobile messaging remains a strong communications tool for children and while younger children use their mobile phone primarily to make calls, as they get older, they are more likely to message, with around 27 per cent of 10-year-old children and 55 per cent of 15-year-olds sending six or more messages a day. Children evidently value mobile, with 88 per cent saying that existing close friendships have been reinforced through mobile messaging and 76 per cent say less close friendships have improved.
The research shows that smartphone and tablet use is relatively low, with just 12 per cent of children using smartphones and less than six per cent of children in three of the four countries surveyed using tablets. Only Egypt is showing greater take-up of tablets at 18 per cent. Children who own smartphones are much more likely to use it as their primary device to access the Internet, with 56 per cent in Japan, 42 per cent in India and 41 per cent in Paraguay using their smartphones for Internet access. An exception is Egypt, where only three per cent of child smartphone owners use it as their main device to access the Internet; instead, 30 per cent of Egyptian children use a games console as their main device to access the Internet.
The full research report is online:
Children’s use of mobile phones – An international comparison 2011 report
Children’s use of mobile phones – An international comparison 2011 executive summary
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Congress. For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com or the GSMA corporate website at www.gsmworld.com
Contact
Abigail Faylor
+44 (0)2070 670 851
afaylor@webershandwick.com or press@gsm.org
About NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO is a world-leading mobile operator that is in transition into an Integrated Service Company placing mobile at the core.. With more than 58 million customers in Japan, the company is one of the world’s most advanced mobile communications operators. Since 2004, NTT DOCOMO’s Mobile Society Research Institute (MSRI) has been studying the social impact of mobile phone use. The research institute, which operates independently from NTT DOCOMO, conducts research studies into both present and future influences of mobile communications. Its findings and widely disclosed to the public through reports, publications and symposia. For more information on MSRI, please visit www.moba-ken.jp/english.NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM), and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.nttdocomo.com
Contact: Shigeo Nomura, contact@moba-ken.jp or +81 3 51561087.
