New research shows that a large and growing number of young people have and use a mobile phone. According to a survey from Wireless World Forum, 50 million mobile-phone owners in the United States are under the age of 25, and they will collectively spend $20 billion this year on their phones.
Indeed, the survey found that young people spend 10 percent of their cash on mobile phones, which represents a greater chunk of their spending than on cigarettes, music and candy. Further, parents encourage such spending, with research showing that 92 percent of mobile-phone owners between the ages of 5 and 14 received their phone from their parents.
Numbers for the United Kingdom show similar trends. According to the survey, there are now 13 million young people in the country with a mobile phone, and 9 million areunder the age of 15. The research showed that the average age for children to get their first phone is 8 years old.
However, such phone ownership could come in handy. The survey showed 78 percent of children and young people said they feel safer with a mobile phone, and 73 percent said they have used their phones in an emergency.
