Children go for smartphones

We can debate about it, but parents have already decided.  Close to half of Danish children get their first phone by the time they turn 8, while almost everyone has it at the age of 10, shows a recent survey. More than a half of them wear a smartphone in the pocket. The survey initiated by Telenor and conducted by Userneeds Danmarkspanel was conducted in Denmark, among 1015 parents with children aged 7-12.

Helps parents keep kids safe

Mobile phone makes it possible to stay in touch with your kids at any time. Appreciated by parents, it is a clear number one reason when parents decide to get a mobile phone to their children. Just being able to call their little ones when they are late, is what as many as 88 % see as the major advantage when the youngest family members carry their own mobile.

No wonder then, that almost half of the interviewed sees as the biggest challenge the situation when the phone stays forgotten at home, or when children don’t answer their calls. Parents like to be able to reach their kids at any time and appreciate the feeling of control that mobile phone gives them.

Mum’s old phone is not good enough

The kids who are now about to get their first phone were born in 2004, when we (born in 20the century) were amazed with the slim shaped,  clam shell phones with two screens, thinking that it must be the top of mobile phone evolution. The very same year Apple launched 1^st generation of iPod Mini. Growing up with advanced devices, those who are about to get their first mobile today want more than an old keyboard phone, and they know how to use it.

For six of 10 kids, the first mobile phone is also a brand new one and just as often – a smartphone. That should not come as a big surprise in the Danish market, where the smartphone penetration is 50 %. That’s probably why parents see as an advantage that mobile phone helps their children to take part in today’s digital world (42% of interviewed).

«Smartphone is a good tool for kids that in addition to calls and messaging can be used to play and learn. Children are learning quickly and are able to use the possibilities of smartphones,” says Mattias Ringqvist, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Consumer in Telenor Denmark.

Three of four kids use their phone for gaming, while every fourth surfs the Internet. Still, the phone is first and foremost used to call parents – says 95 % of interviewed.

Enabling safe use

When choosing the subscription for their kids, parents’ decision is driven by the need for cost control and safety; fathers being a bit more concerned with the first one, while mothers put safety on top.

Today it is possible to choose tariff plans adjusted to children, with filters blocking access to inappropriate content and limited usage.

Telenor’s Mattias Ringqvist recommends parents to choose these tariff plans and avoid unpleasant surprises. Another good advice is to define clear rules on when and how the phones should be used, so both children and parents can with less worries, enjoy the benefits of being connected.