A new research claims that one half of the population of parents they studied in their inquiry do not allow their children to spend their pocket money on downloads for their smartphone. These parents reportedly fear that their children will see inappropriate content.
As per the latest research of Halifax, 91 percent of children reportedly own mobile phones and these are smartphones. 63 percent have a tablet. More than eight children in 10, which is 85 percent, are reportedly downloading games and apps then films and music, Telegraph reported.
The research also showed that the top concern about downloading such items from the internet on tablets and smartphones are inappropriate content and overspending. It was then found out that parents do not let their children spend their pocket money for such downloads. The children studied said that their parents pay their mobile phone bills.
More fathers are reportedly concerned about overspending. In the study, 39 percent of fathers expressed their fears about their children spending too much on downloading while only 26 percent of mothers worry over the same matter, News Archives USA reported.
Aside from the top worries of the parents, the research also found out that more than eight in 10 of the 1,202 children ages eight until 15 studied believes that their parents should pay their phone bills. Only one in 10 said that they should pay their own phone bills.
The head of Halifax, Giles Martin, said in a statement that the parents should use the concept of downloading in order to educate children about money management. He said that "spending on 'virtual' items could give kids the impression of not involving 'real' money" so parents could use the matter as an opportunity to educate them on the real costs of downloads.
He also said that telling children about how to use their pocket money could lead to important budgeting skills once they grow older.
