The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan released the results of their “investigation about use of a child’s cellular phone”. Survey on the use of mobile phones, conducted in November and December 2008, covered about 10,000 students attending school from elementary to senior high level and around 9,500 parents. It’s a wide ranging report with a significant amount of user data, all in Japanese but you can always use some kind of internet translator :-)

Mobile phone became a central point of life for youth Japanese. Survey it’s also a real eye-opener on mobile youth usage behavior.

Cell phone ownership among children increases with age. 25% kids in age 11-12 have their own mobile phone, this percentage grow till 46% for kids in age 13-14 and till 96% in age 16-17. This is not a problem itself because mobile phone give you possibility to stay in contact with family and friends, help in entertaining and is a massive educational tool.

Ministry is very worry of fact that parents don't have full awareness how dangerouse can be unlimited access to mobile phone, which enable you connect to high-speed internet. Cell phones tend to be more personal tools than personal computers. Parents find that what their children are doing with them are increasingly difficult to monitor so Ministry suggest to start a special education connected with mobile phone literacy.