UK: 90% of 12-15 year olds access the Internet every day

According to Crab Creative's infographic, produced from data obtained from a recent Ofcom study, a digital generation that prefers gadgets to television has been uncovered.

In fact, just 17% of kids today say they would miss television, but woe betide anyone who takes away their Internet and mobile access. Kids spent 17 hours each week accessing the Internet, about the same amount of time they spend watching TV.

Nearly all (90%) of 12 - 15 year olds in the U.K. access the Internet every day, and weekly Internet usage continues to rise steadily. Of particular interest is that, despite their young age, not all have their Internet use monitored with 43% going online in the privacy of their bedroom. Sixty-two percent own a smartphone and 44% access the Internet from their device..

Gaming on mobile devices is also on the rise, with a 9% increase compared to a 5% decrease in the number playing games on a hand-held console.

Earlier this year, Nielsen revealed that children even younger than 12 are using a tablet - 70% according to the research. For many they are a techie pacifier with over half (55%) of parents using a tablet to keep their children occupied during long car trips and 41% giving them to their children to keep them quiet in restaurants. More than three-quarters of the parents surveyed (77%) said they let their children use their tablets to play downloaded games while 57% said their children use educational apps.

Tags: children, Internet trends, Internet usage, mobile Internet, UK