London - More than half of primary school pupils aged seven to 11 have profiles on social networking sites – despite rules meant to stop them.
A study of nearly 30 000 children found that 56 percent of under-11s use sites such as Facebook and Bebo – up from less than half two years ago.
The report said that young people ‘were clearly finding their way around restrictions’ which supposedly prevent those younger than 13 having a profile.
Slightly fewer primary pupils report using social networks than in 2013, but the figure is significantly up on the 2012 report, when 45 percent had profiles.
The report highlighted sites for younger children, including Moshi Monsters, where users look after a virtual monster and can chat online, as a way of explaining the increase.
The findings will concern campaigners who have warned that having accounts on social networks can leave youngsters vulnerable to online grooming and expose them to pornography and gambling websites.
The study by the National Literacy Trust also found that pupils who use social networks regularly are more likely to struggle with reading at school.
It showed that 9 percent of eight to 14-year-olds who read social networking messages at least once a month are failing to reach expected levels for their age in reading. By contrast, just five percent of those who regularly read fiction are performing poorly.
However the NLT report – its latest annual survey of under-16s – said that generally, rising numbers of children say they read outside school. They were allowed to count text messages, emails, social networks and blogs, as well as books, newspapers and magazines.
Dr Christina Clark, author of the report, said: “Every format of reading has its own rules and registers and the more you are exposed to that, the more rounded a reader you will become.” - Daily Mail