Mobile phones have penetrated the primary school, with 51 per cent of all 10-year-olds owning their own phone.

By the time youngsters reach secondary school, the proportion with their own phone rises to 91 per cent, according to new research out today.

But while mobiles have become essential for many youngsters, most bypass the mundane function of making calls, instead using their mobiles to text their friends. On average, 11 to 17-year-olds send around 10 text messages a day - almost three times as many as their parents.

The findings, compiled in the Mobile Life Youth Report, which was commissioned by The Carphone Warehouse with the help of the London School of Economics, reveal the growing importance of technology in children’s lives today, with 78 per cent of respondents saying their mobile phones made it easier to stay in touch with friends.

The survey of more than 1,250 11 to 17-year-olds revealed that teenage girls in particular were addicted to their phones, with more than four out of 10 females aged 15 to 17 saying that they would "feel unwanted" if a whole day passed without their mobile ringing.

Far from parents disapproving of their children's apparent reliance though, most seem to encourage their offspring to keep a phone, with three-quarters of youngsters having had their phone bought for them by their parents and half having their calls paid for by them.

There was nonetheless some inevitable divergence between parents and children over the reasons cited for possessing a phone. While 80 per cent of young people said it made them feel safer when they go out, only a third of children aged 13 to 16 thought it was reasonable for their parents to keep track of them, compared to 71 per cent of parents.

Mobile phones also seem to have revolutionised teenage dating, as a quarter of all youngsters said they had received a romantic text.

Rosemary Duff, Director of Childwise, a market research company specialising in children, told Times Online that younger children tended to be given pay-as-go rather than contract phones, and that texting proved more popular with youngsters because of its cheaper cost as well as social etiquette.

"It was young people who really got the text movement going. You know how much a text costs, and it's also less intrusive as it's up to the other person how they receive it," she said, adding that texting had become an essential way of making last-minute plans with friends.

Not to have a mobile phone could be severely limiting, she said. "If all you friends are texting each other about meeting up that day but can't get hold of you, you will miss out," she said.

She said that children had come to expect it as standard that they should have their own phone. "For many young people, their parents have had mobile phones since they were born so they have always been around.

"It's a tool; quite a lot of younger children don't actually use them as phones. They will have £10 credit and can receive calls but they are cautious about making calls which can be expensive. Instead they take photos and play games, all of which can be done without running up a huge bill.

"In some cases the younger ones want to keep up with their older siblings. They are likely to want all the features, such as having the internet, even if they don't actually use them."

She said that changing lifestyles had led to many parents feeling it was necessary to provide their children with a phone. "Nowadays with most parents working and children doing more after-school activities, parents are quite happy to give them a phone so they can keep track of them and gain a sense of security.

"There are also strong practical reasons; if you are picking up your child from football practice, they can text you when they are ready to leave rather than you having to wait around."

Ms Duff said that another factor was divorce, with one parent - often the father - buying their child a phone as a means of staying in touch without having to communicate with the other parent.

Charles Dunstone, chief executive officer of The Carphone Warehouse Group, said: "The mobile phone has become the most important electronic device for young people in the UK today with 91 per cent of children having a mobile phone by the time they go to secondary school.

"It provides them with a social network, a sense of security and access to entertainment. But most importantly it provides them with a sense of belonging to their peer group."

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