Harris Interactive and Symantec released a survey yesterday that takes a look at online activities of people across the world. Let’s see how your family stacks up in a few areas.
Do your kids spend less than 20 hours a month online? If so, you’re ahead of the curve as the survey reports that kids in the US spend an average of 20 hours a month online. Surprising to me, parents think that their kids only spend 2 hours a month.
Do you know who your child’s friends are? Are they meeting people online? There is a good chance they are. In the US, 35% of kids ages 8-17 have made friends online, while 50% teens ages 13-17 have.
Who are your kids sharing their, and possible your, information with? Four in ten teens have been asked for personal information online. Did your kids ignore the request or share the information?
Do you visit social networking sites? Do your kids? Yes. In fact, 76% of teens visit social networking sites. Do you know what they are saying and posting there? You should. It will give you some more insight into your children, areas that they might not tell you about.
The fact that was most shocking to me is that only 33% of parents worldwide monitor their children’s online activities and set parental controls. I find this surprising because I think parents truly care about the safety of their children.
You as a parent have taught your children to look booth ways before crossing the street. I bet you didn’t let them just start running across it. You first would hold their hand and cross with them. As they got older they didn’t need to hold your hand but you were still by their side. You taught them about what the signals mean, red and green lights, walk and don’t walk signs.
Why not do the same with the internet? Start with the basics and keep an eye on your kids by using monitoring software. You’ll know what your children are up to and when it is time for them to be out on their own, you’ll be confident that they know how to stay out of trouble.
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