Kids accessing internet porn tops parents’ worry list

The greatest fear that parents have about their children's online activities is that they might access pornography on the internet, a survey has found.

The greatest fear that parents have about their children's online activities is that they might access pornography on the internet, a survey has found.

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While 40% of the parents polled were worried about access to pornographic sites, 29% said identity theft was their biggest worry, 21% were concerned about bullying/ harassment and 17% about sexual predators.

The survey was conducted in ten Indian cities on a sample size of 350 families and using a structured questionnaire. Internet security company, McAfee, and global market research company, Synovate, conducted the survey, the results of which were released on Wednesday.

“It is dangerous that parents are not worried enough about sexual predators,” said Dr Shefali Batra, a psychiatrist who was present at the release of the findings in Mumbai on Wednesday.

“The other basic issue about internet usage is also the growing problem of internet addiction among children.”

Of those surveyed 62% said they allowed their children to access social networking sites, 57 % of who said they know their children lie about their age to get on these sites.

Some of the survey results were unclear.

It claimed that “most urban parents according to the survey monitor and control the time spent by their children in the age group six to 15 years very strictly” and that “almost one third of the respondents” are not aware of their kids’ online activities but did not specify the exact percentages.