According to a new study by The Nielsen Company, tweens (kids ages 8 to 12) may be leading the U.S. mobile marketing revolution.

The findings state 5 percent of tweens access the Internet over their phone each month.
Forty-one percent of tween mobile Internet users say they do so while commuting or traveling (to school, for example), mobile content such as the Internet is also a social medium for this audience. 26 percent of tween mobile Internet users say they access the web while at a friend’s house and 17 percent say they do so at social events, according to the research.

The report also estimates that:
*35 percent of tweens own a mobile phone
*20 percent of tweens have used text messaging
*21 percent of tweens have used ring & answer tones
*58 percent of tweens who download or watch TV on their phone do so at home
*64 percent of tweens who download or play music on their phone do so at home
*56 percent of tweens who access the Internet on their phone do so at home

Read the full report, called “Kids on the Go: Mobile Usage by U.S. Teens and Tweens.”

You can also check out the story I wrote back in the July/August 2006 issue about the tween demographic to see how things have evolved in just 18 months.