There are growing concerns amongst children’s advocacy groups surrounding the age at which children start using the internet.
The cause for concern comes after a recently published report found that children as young as five are accessing content online.
The School Digital Trend Report released today by Zeeko, found that children currently in 1st class reported they first went online at the age of 5-years-old, whilst those currently in 6th class revealed they first went online when they were just seven-and-a-half years old.
The detailed report also showed that 86% of primary school children have an easier than expected access to the internet with many children revealing they regularly use a smart phone, tablet or iPod.
Although 58% of the children surveyed said they would never talk to a stranger online deeming it ‘serious’. The report found that many young children are engaging with strangers online, particularly amongst young boys who are thought to have easier links to communication due to the surge in online gaming.