Samsung boss says he would not give a child under 11 a smartphone

The UK brag of Samsung Mobile has said helium would not person fixed his girl a smartphone earlier she was 11.

But James Kitto stressed the determination to springiness a kid a telephone was down to "parental choice" and said harmless net browsing was paramount.

It comes aft Ofsted's main inspector said she was "surprised" erstwhile superior schoolhouse children person smartphones.

Mr Kitto, who took the relation astatine Samsung relation successful December past year, told the BBC's Today programme: "From my idiosyncratic perspective, my girl got a smartphone erstwhile she was 11.

"I personally wouldn't person fixed her 1 early, but it is simply a parental determination arsenic to erstwhile you should get your kid a phone.

"And immoderate prime you make, and immoderate property you marque that prime for your child, it is important to guarantee that, if they are accessing the internet, they are accessing it successful a harmless way," helium said.

All mobile telephone providers springiness escaped parental power services to bounds what children tin spot connected the internet, according to the telecoms regulator, Ofcom, which besides says children should beryllium cautious erstwhile sharing pictures and societal networking.

A survey by probe steadfast Childwise suggests that three-quarters of 9 and 10-year-olds person entree to a mobile phone.

That breaks down arsenic 60% owning a mobile phone, and 14% utilizing a household member's oregon friend's.

More than two-thirds of those children spell online.

The aforesaid study - Childwise Monitor 2023 - recovered that 8% of 5 and six-year-olds ain their ain phone, and 8% person entree to a household member's oregon friend's, portion for 7 and eight-year olds, those figures are 43% and 23% respectively.

Earlier this week, Ofsted's main inspector, Amanda Spielman, said she was "surprised" erstwhile superior schoolhouse children person smartphones.

She said she was was "not comfortable" with younger children having unlimited net access, and said determination was a "great deal" that tin beryllium done to bounds children's entree to porn and big content.

Earlier this week, the findings of a survey by the Children's Commissioner for England suggested that by property nine, 10% of children had seen pornography, and 27% had seen it by property 11.

The findings person been linked to debased self-esteem among young radical and harmful views of enactment and relationships.

Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said it was "deeply concerning".