Children left free to roam the internet

Children aged three to 15 spend on average two and a half hours per week surfing the internet outside of school, according to new research. However, the results indicate that almost half (46 per cent) of parents are failing to monitor the websites their children are viewing every time.

The study by moneysupermarket.com reveals, as children get older, their parents claim the amount of time they spend on the internet outside of school increases. Seven to nine year olds spend one and three-quarter hours per week on average, compared to four and a quarter hours spent online by those aged between 13 and 15. Yet, only half (54 per cent) of parents admit to monitoring websites every time their child goes online, and only 42 per cent of parents confess to being present every time their child goes online.

In addition, despite older children spending more time surfing the net, parents are doing less to monitor the websites they are accessing.

The research also reveals children are being left to use the internet on their own, with nearly two in 10 (18 per cent) using a computer in their bedroom. Surprisingly, only two in 10 (21 per cent) parents use any parental control software. However, 34 per cent regularly check the security settings and 32 per cent monitor their child’s browsing history.

A trustworthy four in 10 (42 per cent) parents set rules regarding how their children use the internet. Parents are specifically concerned about adult content websites (29 per cent), closely followed by chatroom/webcam sites (27 per cent) and social networking sites such as Facebook or Myspace (26 per cent). A laid back one in 10 parents (10 per cent) said they were not particularly concerned about any type of website.

Rob Barnes, head of mobiles and broadband at moneysupermarket.com, said: “The internet can be an invaluable tool. However, a child who doesn’t understand the dangers the net can pose may unknowingly encounter harmful material if parents do not put any protection in place.

“The results show parents are aware they need to monitor how their child is using the internet but could do more. I would suggest setting rules and expecting children to obey them, especially teenagers, is not enough. At the very least the computer should be in a communal area. However, putting parental control software on your home computer, such as Netnanny or Weblocker, would offer more security as well as give parents extra peace of mind that their child is safe when surfing the net.”