Children's growing computer use

A quarter of five and six-year-olds have their own laptop or computer, according to research commissioned by the Guardian newspaper.

The study found that increasing numbers of children were using the internet, particularly younger children. Communicating with friends, through instant messaging or via social networking sites such as Bebo, was the biggest reason for using the net.

Children as young as eight were found to be signing up to social networking sites, sometimes using fake ages to get round minimum age safeguards.

Playing games was the second most popular reason for children being on the computer, followed by looking for information for schoolwork in third place.

Watching television was also found to have become more popular amongst children, and reading for pleasure less so, with young children in particular tuning in before going to school.

Five hundred and fifty primary school children were interviewed as part of the research, out of a total of 1,147 children aged below 17 from England, Scotland and Wales.

The survey was carried out by Childwise, a market research company.