Young children using online social networks, three-quarters of parents “spying” on them
August 7, 2008 by andymerrett
It must be something about the school summer holidays that’s bringing out surveys about children and parents and their relationship with the Internet… and each other.
Not a week after a survey about parental knowledge of their children’s online activities comes another from Garlik.
This one suggests that 75% of parents are monitoring what their children get up to online without their knowledge, by logging in to their social networking accounts, or setting up their own profiles so that they can “spy” on their kids.
The survey of 1,000 children aged from 8-15, and 1,030 parents, also found that children as young as eight are visiting web sites which aren’t meant for under-12s, including the social network phenomena of Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo.
More worrying is that around two-thirds of children admitted to posting information that could help identify them individually, such as mobile phone numbers and where they go to school. One in five had even met up with people they’d only befriended online.
Garlik, a company involved in the prevention of online fraud and identity theft, said that web sites needed to do more to prevent underage children from accessing them. However, parents are also responsible for what their children get up to online, and while spying may seem a bit drastic, there are things families can do to minimise the risks.
(Via Pocket Lint)
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[…] networking sites should take more responsibility for protecting minors, particularly as preteens are using these sites even though they shouldn’t […]
A new social networking site for families http://www.familyeden.com which focuses on Building Stronger Relationships. Kids (any age) are welcomed to become members as long as their profile is created by a parent. It’s great for families separated by distance since it has a “family room” that unites all family members. Together, they can set family goals, celebrate achievements, share files, take e-learning courses, share videos, pictures, blog, and much more. However, as a mother, my favorite part is that security is a top priority and they take a proactive role of screening every video/image that is uploaded by members. I am not sure how this will be handled once they get big. But for now, it’s a great place for the whole family to hang out.