Nearly a quarter of UK five-to-seven-year-olds now have their own smartphone, Ofcom research suggests. Social media use also rose in the age group over last year with nearly two in five using messaging service WhatsApp, despite its minimum age of 13.

Almost a quarter of children in the UK aged between five and seven own a smartphone, with a significant number using social media apps such as TikTok and WhatsApp despite falling under the minimum age limits.

Campaigners express concern at new Ofcom figures, which also show that half of under-13s are on social media

Around a quarter of British children aged between five and seven-years-old now have a smart phone, a study by the UK communications regulator said on Friday.The study follows a massive reaction from UK parents this year after one mother's Instagram post when viral.

Social media use and gaming show steep increases within the age group, after UK comms watchdog given new powers The UK's telecoms regulator has found that nearly a quarter of children between the ages of five and seven own a smartphone while a similar percentage use social media unsupervised.