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Kids Don't Tell Parents The Truth About Online Activities
Do you know what your kids are doing online? A new study shows you probably
don't.
According to research by Webroot Software, what parents think their kids are
doing online and what kids say they're doing online are often two different
things.
"Without proper parental guidance, children can put themselves at risk,
compromise valuable family information, or be the sources of bad behavior like
illegally downloading videos or music or bullying," said Mike Irwin, COO of
Webroot Software, in a statement. "The good news here is that these potential
problems can be largely avoided if parents apply the same vigilance to the
online world as in the offline world. Direct and ongoing conversations with our
kids, and establishing guidelines with the help of the right technology, will go
a long way in supporting good judgment."
More than 70% of the surveyed children, ages 11 to 17, said their parents ask
them about their online activities, but they may not be getting accurate
answers.
According to Webroot, more than half of the teens surveyed said they buy
things online, but 71% of parents said their children never buy anything over
the Internet. Forty percent of the kids said they use instant messaging and social networking websites, like MySpace and Facebook everyday, while only 30% of the parents
said their children participate in these sites. And 45% of the kids say they
spend an average of three or more hours on the Internet a day but 76% of parents
polled said their children spend an average of two hours or less on the
Internet.
The survey also supported concerns about the online risks that children and
teenagers face.
Forty-three percent of teens who use social networking sites said a stranger invited them to meet
within the past year. At the same time, nearly 40% of children ages 11 to 17
reported receiving a sexually explicit e-mail or pop-up advertisement within the past year. Nearly
100% of the children surveyed said they use e-mail.
By Sharon Gaudin, InformationWeek
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