ALMOST half the parents of tech-savvy children say they stop their youngsters spending their pocket money on digital downloads for fear of them accessing inappropriate content, according to a survey.

The Annual Pocket Money Survey carried out by Halifax has been referred to as a ‘tech-tussle’ between parents and children. While three-quarters of children between the ages of eight and 15 own a mobile phone and two thirds have a tablet, digital downloads are a no-no for nearly half of them.

Giles Martin, head of Halifax Savings, said: “Whilst spending on ‘virtual’ items could give kids the impression of not involving ‘real’ money, parents can use this as an opportunity to educate them on the real costs of downloads. Discussing with children how to best use their pocket money can be a simple and effective way to teach kids the basics of money management and equip them with important budgeting skills for the future.”

However, despite the parental restrictions, more than eight in 10 children are downloading from the internet.

When it comes to the content children are downloading, sometimes against their parents’ wishes, games and apps are the most popular, compared to music and films.

More than a third of parents do not allow children to spend their pocket money on digital downloads, citing fears over them accessing inappropriate content as a reason.

One in three parents are also worried about children overspending online, with dads more concerned than mums.

Several other interesting facts emerged from the survey, including the cost to parents for their child’s phone.

More than eight in 10 children who were asked said it was their parents who stumped up the cash for their mobile phone bills.

Over eight in 10 children said they believed it was the responsibility of their parents to pay their bills, with only one in 10 saying it was down to them.

The survey also highlighted current trends in technology.

Almost three-quarters of children own a mobile phone, and of those, more than 90 per cent own an up-to-date smart device.

But while smartphones are the popular choice among children, the survey found other gadgets and devices had fallen out of fashion.

Only a third of children own an iPod these days and fewer than a fifth own an MP3 player.

The TNS Omnibus survey spoke to 1,202 children aged eight to 15 between May 1 and May 23 and 575 parents of children aged eight to 15 between May 10 and May 16 this year.