Japanese children warned off mobiles

Here is an interesting development on the 'mobile phones - health' issue, coming out from Japan. This time it's more about mental health in terms of attraction to 'inappropriate material'. The Register reports that:

Japanese children should be prevented from using their mobile phones for anything other than talking to protect them from harmful influences, according to an advisory panel to the government.

The panel is already calling on schools and parents to take a much greater role in controlling the services children can access, reports the AFP, but ultimately sees no reason why children need to use a phone for more than speaking into...

...It's hard to imagine Japan really banning children from using mobile data services, though the panel has reported to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda who told reporters: "It is true that the use of mobile phones causes various problems... First of all, I wonder if there is any need for children to possess mobile phones."

Read in full - 'Japanese children warned off mobiles'
-