NEW YORK (Reuters) - Most parents who are thinking of buying cell phones for their children this Christmas are doing so for safety reasons, according to a new survey.

An online poll of 339 parents found that 78 percent were considering getting a cell phone for their children so they could be in contact with them in case of an emergency.

Another 13 percent said they wanted their children to be able to keep in touch with friends and family, and six percent admitted it was because their children repeatedly asked for one.

Only one percent of parents questioned in the poll by communications software company Aricent said entertainment was the main reason for buying a mobile phone.

"If you look at how all the service providers are building out their networks and marketing to adults, they've been focusing on entertainment," said company spokesman Jojo Roy, referring to new video and audio technology for cell phones.

Almost half of parents polled said location-based technology, such as Global Positioning System and a live audio feed that would allow parents to speak directly to their children from the handset, would be of interest to them.

"This is a growth market, and at the same time, carriers, applications companies, device manufacturers really haven't looked at the safety aspect of it," Roy added.

He said that some of these services already exist in the market but that the mobile phone industry is currently testing more of these advanced applications on their products.

While 23 percent of parents said their children already own a mobile phone, another third indicated that they were considering buying one this year.

Almost 20 percent of parents were thinking of upgrading their children's existing phones this holiday season, while more than a third felt their children were too young for one.

(Reporting by Claire Sibonney; Editing by Patricia Reaney)
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