Ofcom report: Almost a quarter of children aged 5-7 have smartphones

Rising numbers of young people are using social media despite the age restrictions

Nearly one quarter of five to seven-year-olds have a smartphone according to new research.

The report from Ofcom (the Office of Communications) - which oversees TV, radio and internet services in the UK - also found rising numbers of young people using social media.

Tiktok, Instagram and WhatsApp were all in the top used apps for children, even though they all have a minimum age limit of 13 to use.

The report comes as some people have called for more restrictions on mobile phones for children.

What else did the Ofcom report find?

Many under 13's admitted to lying to be able to use apps and services

The numbers of five to seven-year-olds using social media, messaging and gaming online were found to have risen.

The report also found that over half of children under 13 use social media, despite the minimum age requirement, and many admitted to lying to gain access to new apps and services.

Only a third of parents knew the age requirements for using social media platforms.

Ofcom said the figures should be a "wake up call" for the industry to do more to protect children from the pressures and lack of safety on social media.

Should children be banned from owning smartphones?

Government guidance says pupils should be banned from using mobile phones at school.

Some campaigners believe that under-16's should be banned from owning smart phones because of the dangers of the online world.

Recently, government guidance was published banning pupils from using mobile phones during the school day.

Mark Bunting, who is from Ofcom's Online Safety Group, told BBC News: "I think this is a wake up call for industry. They have to take account of the users they have, not the users that their terms and conditions say they have.

"We've known for a long time that children, under the age limit on a lot of the most popular apps, are widely using those apps, and companies are now under a legal obligation to take steps to keep those children safe," he added.

Some parents give children a mobile phone to be able to contact them

Many parents say they give children phones so they can stay in contact or to track them via their mobile - but many said it was difficult to keep children off social media.

Mr Bunting said: "It may not be about preventing use entirely for children under 13, which I think is very difficult in today's society. But parents can talk to their children about using those services safely. And we'd encourage them to do that."

Ofcom said new age limits for smartphones would be a matter for government.

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