Ofcom: Kids are spending more time texting

According to the latest Ofcom research, there’s been a big rise in the amount of texts children are sending, and the amount of time they’re spending online.

Ofcom’s 2012 report on children’s media habits shows that 12 to 15-year-olds are heavy texters, sending an average of 193 texts every week. That figure has more than doubled from 91 last year – and the UK average is just 50 texts per week.

Girls of that age group are even more prolific texters, sending 221 messages, over 30 per day – 35 per cent more than boys.

Younger kids send plenty of texts, too, with 8 to 11-year-olds composing 41 texts every week, which has again doubled year-on-year.

The report also showed a marked rise in the time kids are spending on the Internet. For the first time ever according to Ofcom’s gauges, 12 to 15-year-olds are spending as much time on the net as they do watching TV, namely 17 hours per week.

Claudio Pollack, Ofcom’s Consumer Group Director, commented: “Ofcom’s latest research shows that children’s take-up and use of different media is growing at a rapid pace, with some areas such as texting and smartphone ownership fast outstripping the general population.”

“However, children are not just using more media, they are also adopting some forms at a very young age. This highlights the challenge that some parents face in keeping up with their children when it comes to technology and in understanding what they can do to protect children.”