Nearly Half of US Kids Own a Mobile Phone - Report

The Nielsen Company published the findings from its newly launched Mobile Kids Insights, a report profiling the mobile activities and preferences of U.S. "tweens" (ages 8-12) - a population segment of 20 million young consumers who represent a significant opportunity in the competitive mobile marketplace.

The report estimates that 46% of tweens use cell phones and that on average, kids get their own cell phone between the ages of 10 and 11. The report also found that 55% of tweens who own a cell phone send text messages and 21% download ringtones.

The top reason parents want tweens to have a cell phone is in case there is an emergency or problem and 92% of parents restrict how tweens use their phone, 68% say they prohibit downloads (games, ringtones, etc.) that incur charges.

"Tweens have grown up with mobile phones and expect them to do much more than make a call. Our clients want to understand tweensÃ' attitudes and mobile behavior in the context of their daily life and media consumption," says Richard Wood, Nielsen Mobile Vice President of Consumer Insights. "By combining BASES targeted survey experience with Nielsen MobileÃ's expertise in the telecom industry, Mobile Kids Insights helps our clients engage with this increasingly important segment."

The report builds off a successful collaboration between Nielsen Mobile and BASES, which has extensive experience in accessing and surveying kids ages 8-12, a notoriously difficult age segment to survey.

Posted to the site on 12th September 2008