Kids Online: Do You Have a Clue?

Dave Rogers

As a former child, you probably remember not telling your parents about every detail of your life. That communication gap is as old as time—but it appears that today's technology has widened that gap into a chasm.

 

An overstatement? Not according to the findings of Symantec's first Norton Online Living Report (conducted by Harris Interactive). How does your view of your kids' online lives compare to results like these?

 

  • U.S. parents believe their children spend about two hours each month online. The kids report spending ten times that amount—20 hours!

 

  • Parents in the U.S. believe that only 6% of children have been approached online by a stranger. But 16% of kids report being approached.

 

  • Only 9% of U.S. parents believe their kids have received online requests for personal information.  But four in ten U.S. teens aged 13-17 have had such requests.

 

  • About two percent of U.S. parents believe their children encounter cyber-pranks online, while 13% of kids report such experiences.

 

  • Twenty-one percent of U.S. parents don't know what their kids are looking at online. Meanwhile, 19% percent of kids report doing things online that would meet parental disapproval. 

 

  • Only 48% of U.S. parents use parental control software on their computers. Fewer than one third spy on their children's Internet use.

 

“Parents are in the dark when it comes to knowing what their kids are doing online," says Marion Merritt, Symantec's Internet Safety Advocate. "They don’t have a clue how much time their kids are spending online. They don’t know where their kids are going when they are online. And, they certainly don’t know who their kids are talking to online."  Visit here for more details on the Norton Online Living Report.

 

What can you do to bridge the digital divide in your family? A great place to begin is the Online Safety section here in Yahoo! Kids Parents. We've collected dozens of resources from leading Internet safety organizations that can help you protect your 21st century kids. Check it out!