The survey said that an additional 46% of children who use social networks use it  “some days”, leaving just 5% of the age group who never log on to the world’s top social network.A report by retail analyst firm Mintel found that half of all children aged 7-12 visit social networks, with nearly half logging on to Facebook every day.

The popularity with the age group comes despite Facebook stating that in its Terms and Conditions that users must be aged over 13.

A Facebook spokeswoman said, “Recent reports have highlighted just how difficult it is to implement age restrictions on the Internet and that there is no single solution to ensuring younger children don’t circumvent a system or lie about their age.

“We agree with safety experts that communication between parents/guardians and kids about their use of the Internet is vital. We believe that services such as Facebook have a role to play in encouraging this: the recent announcements around social reporting and our safety center are testimonies to our ongoing efforts in ensuring we are giving detailed and helpful advice to help support these conversations. Just as parents are always teaching and reminding kids how to cross the road safely, talking about internet safety should be just as important a lesson to learn,” she added.

The report found that Facebook was most popular with girls aged 10-12, with over half (54%) of the demographic visiting the site everyday.

Twitter and Club Penguin were found to be the second and third most visited social networks for children respectively, although the popularity of the sites was much lower compared with Facebook, with just 9% of children visiting them every day.

The report found that peer pressure was one the main reason why children visit social networks. Nearly two thirds (63%) of 7-12-year-olds said they use social networks because their friends.

Ina Mitskavets, senior lifestyles analyst at Mintel, said,
“Being the digital natives, today’s children are well versed in all aspects of technology and the internet, with almost a million of children aged 7-12 use Facebook on a daily basis, highlighting just how popular the site has become among  children.

“Perhaps, joining Facebook is viewed as a rite of passage into secondary school and an absolute must have for entering the social scene and maintaining social circles,” she said. “Friends’ acceptance is an important  factor driving social network adoption, but peer influence is also essential in new product discovery, especially for games, electronic gadgets, music and films.”

The research also found that 24% of 7-12-year-olds use a smartphone to access the internet, compared to 41% of  British adults.