UK kids can't be trusted with mobiles

A survey of 2,000 people in the UK, US and Germany has found that British teenagers are the worst behaved when it comes to using mobile technology.

Over half of UK teenagers admitted to texting or talking on their mobiles during school hours, compared to fewer than half of US teenagers and fewer than a third of German teenagers.

UK and US teenagers are also more than twice as likely to download music or play video games on their mobiles during school hours than their German counterparts.

"Mobile phones are a fact of modern life. They have become an essential part of the youth communications dynamic, and a vital link between parents and their children," said Chris Couch, chief marketing officer at mobile content control firm Ace-Comm, which commissioned the research.

"But with the increase in use there is also a rise in misuse such as mobile phone bullying.

"When the internet became part of the youth experience, parents were able to monitor this from their home environments. Now kids can take that online experience anywhere."