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Kids are getting mobile phones at younger ages.



              The mode in which they communicate also is changing as most kids choose to use text messages as their main platform for expression, which some physiologists say could negatively affect a child's academic and social habits. A 2010 Pew Internet and American Life Project study revealed that 75 percent of kids ages 12 to 17 own a cell phone. The majority of kids - 66 percent - got their first phones before their 14th birthday.

               While none of the 17-year-olds polled received phones before they turned 10, nearly 30 percent of 12-year-olds did. The Pew study revealed that 54 percent of teens send text messages daily, up from 38 percent in 2008. Half of teens send about 1,500 texts every month, while about one-third send about 3,000 texts. Teen girls on average send about 100 texts per day, while younger teen boys send about 20. The study concluded that teens prefer texting as the primary mode of communication, eclipsing face-to-face contact, e-mail, instant messages and voice calls. Plus, giving a child a mobile device at a young age could create a basis of expectations that makes them feel entitled to every new gadget that hits the market.