90% of children receive their first smartphone at age 12

To gather data about phone usage among the population, the National Youth Service (SNJ) conducts two surveys each year: one targeting young people and the other aimed at parents. For the youth survey, 916 children, teenagers, and young adults between the ages of 12 and 30 were questioned between June and July 2024. While the results are not representative of the entire population, they provide a useful snapshot of current trends.

The parent survey was conducted in June 2024 in collaboration with Ires (Institute of Economic and Social Research), with 541 parents of children aged 3 to 16 taking part.

When do children receive their first smartphone?

Today's youth are often described as "digital natives" – a generation that has grown up surrounded by technology and, as a result, tends to use it more intuitively than their parents. Children are being introduced to the digital world at an increasingly young age. According to the Bee Secure Radar survey, 42% of the 541 parents surveyed said their child had their first contact with digital devices before the age of four.

More than half of the parents (54%) reported having given a smartphone to their child. This marks a slight decrease – about 9 percentage points – compared to the previous year. As in previous years, the most common age at which children receive their first smartphone remains 12, with 90% of children acquiring one at that age. On average, children get their first smartphone at 10.77 years old. Among those aged 12–16, smartphone ownership stands at 96%.

Parents were also asked whether their children had social media accounts. 61% said their children did not yet have any. Among those who did, most children created their first account at the age of 12. It's worth noting that most major platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, require users to be at least 13 years old to create an account.

In terms of app popularity, YouTube and WhatsApp are the most commonly used platforms among children and teens. Instagram becomes increasingly relevant in the 12–16 and 17–30 age groups. Among primary school children, the most used platforms are WhatsApp (53%), Snapchat (37%), and TikTok (22%). In secondary school, Snapchat leads with 74%, followed by WhatsApp (67%) and Instagram (47%).

How much time do young people spend in front of screens?

As part of the Bee Secure Radar 2025 report, young people were asked to check their smartphone usage via their device’s screen time function and report the amount of time spent on the previous day. If the day in question was a Saturday or Sunday, participants were instructed to provide their screen time from the preceding Friday instead.

Unsurprisingly, the highest average screen time was reported by young adults aged 17 to 30, who spent an average of 5 hours and 14 minutes on their smartphones. Close behind were 12 to 16-year-olds, with an average of 4 hours and 8 minutes. Interestingly, teaching staff reported nearly comparable figures, averaging 3 hours and 42 minutes of screen time per day. Parents had the lowest reported usage, averaging 2 hours and 47 minutes.

Among younger children, tablets remain more commonly used than smartphones. According to parents, 40% of children aged 3 to 11 use a smartphone daily, while 60% regularly use a tablet.

The survey also revealed a striking discrepancy between parental estimates and youth self-reports regarding time spent on social media by 12 to 16-year-olds. While 20% of parents believed their children were not on social media at all, one-third estimated their children spent less than an hour per day, and another third assumed usage of one to three hours.

In contrast, the children and teenagers themselves reported significantly higher levels of social media activity. 35% (one-third) said they spent one to three hours daily on social platforms, 24% (a quarter) reported spending four to six hours, and 18% (nearly one in five) stated they spent more than six hours per day on social media.