LONDON (BBC Health News) -- More than nine out of 10 12-year-olds in the UK now have a mobile phone, a survey has suggested.

Almost 80% of the young people who took part in the research said they felt safer having a mobile and that they had a better social life as a result.

On average, they send or receive up to 10 text messages a day -- three times more than their parents.

The Mobile Life Survey, commissioned by Carphone Warehouse, quizzed 1,250 people aged 11 to 17.

Three-quarters of youngsters have had their phone bought for them by their parents, while half have their calls paid for by their parents.

The survey found that most parents (71%) believed mobiles were a useful way to keep track of their offspring.

However, only a third of 13 to 16-year-olds thought it was reasonable for parents to use mobiles for this reason.