4 in 5 parents spend more than £500 on their kid’s first phone

MOST parents are spending "at least £500" on the first smartphone they buy for they children, according to a new study.

Research found that parents of children aged between three and 10 were spending huge amounts of money on gadgets for their kids.

The study, which was commissioned by musicMagpie, found that 77% of parents spent more than £500 on their child's "first phone".

It also found that a quarter of children aged six and under already had a smartphone.

And nearly half of children under 10 years old are said to be spending as many as 21 hours each day using their mobile.

MusicMagpie's Liam Howley said: "The age at which children get their first phones has got even younger, and while many agree that there's no defined age to give a child a phone, there's a lot parents can do to ensure their child's day-to-day life isn't consumed by one.

"From restricting the time they spend on the device, to keeping a close eye on what they are downloading, there are many steps parents can go through to limit usage."

According to the survey, 80% of parents aren't capping the amount of time their children spend on their devices.

Two-thirds of parents also don't cap the monthly spend on their child's phone, and a quarter only "sometimes" monitor the spend.

The research, which surveyed more than 2,000 parents with young children, also shined a light on the different reasons why parents are buying smartphones for children who are so young.

A third of parents gave into their children after "constant pleas" for a phone, while one on five bought one to keep their kid entertained.

It seems the tactic is working, too; 38% of kids use their phones to play games, followed by 32% who listen to music, 30% watching videos, and 23% using the Snapchat messaging app.

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