The survey, conducted in the spring among 942 young people aged six to 18 and published on Monday, revealed that 65% of this group had the use of a smartphone. — AP
BERLIN: Three quarters of children in Germany aged between 10 and 12 own a smartphone, according to a survey conducted by the IT sector's Bitkom association.
The survey, conducted in the spring among 942 young people aged six to 18 and published on Monday, revealed that 65% of this group had the use of a smartphone.
The figure is just 17% for those aged six to nine, but rises sharply to 76% for the 10 to 12 age group, to 90% for those aged from 13 to 15 and to 95% for young people 16 and older.
German experts on education and security recommend that children younger than 12 should not have unsupervised access to the internet. Some parents provide younger children with mobile phones that are not internet-capable, known as "dumb phones" or "feature phones."
According to the Bitkom survey, around 4% of young people in the six-to-18 age group possess a phone of this kind.
Tablets are also widespread, with 54% of the survey group owning one. Here too, ownership rises with age, from 42% among those aged six to nine, to 68% for those aged 16 to 18.
Bitkom head Bernhard Rohleder called for guidance for young people as they entered the digital world, both through school lessons and at home.
"Devices in the early years should be used together with the parents to guide children to responsible use of media and technology, along with discussion on content," he said.
There should also be agreement on the purpose and duration of device use, Rohleder said. – dpa
