Children should own mobile at the age of three, finds study

Melbourne: If you are one of those parents, who constantly worry about your toddlers using mobile phones constantly, then we have an important news for you.

According to a recent poll conducted by Galaxy, it is found that more than 10 percent of parents think it is acceptable to give a child as young as three to six its first mobile device, reports News.com.au. A further 13 percent think seven to nine years of age is the right age for children to be given their own device.

Sabina Read, practising psychologist and Australian social commentator, said, "The device itself is not the enemy and if we say it is bad it only becomes more appealing."

Though, she was shocked that more than 20 percent of parents think device ownership is "Ok" for five to nine year-olds. Preliminary results from a further poll show 65 percent of children aged five to 12 own their own devices.

A tablet is the digital device most widely owned by younger kids, about half of them own their own tablet and more young boys than young girls are likely to have their own device. But there are so many opportunities for young children to connect with the world and if they are looking at a screen they will miss out on these, she concluded.