UK kids on cellphones

More than 90% of UK 12-year-olds have mobile phones, according to a recent study in that country. The BBC reports that, among the 1,250 11-to-17-year-olds polled in the Mobile Life Survey, almost 80% "said they felt safer having a mobile and that they had a better social life as a result." Texting is much preferred to speaking on phones in this age group. The survey also found that, while many schools have banned cellphones, 50% of people 11-17 have sent or received text messages during class. Many respondents, "especially teenage girls, admit they would feel unwanted if the day passed without their mobile ringing; overall, 26% said they would feel left out, compared with just 11% of parents. Most parents (71%), the survey found, believe mobiles help keep track of their children. Here's another BBC article on the realities of accessing the Web via mobile phone.