A new research study of children and their parents released March 28 finds that families are overwhelmingly positive about their experiences in cyberspace. Parents, in fact, want their children to use the Internet, especially for educational activities, trust their children to use the Internet properly, and believe the Internet is generally safe. Children's Television Workshop and Microsoft Corp. funded the study. The study was based on interviews with a random sample of 1,735 parents of children ages 2 to 17 and 601 children ages 8 to 17 from the same households.
Parents trust their children's use of the Internet and generally believe it's a safe place.
Sixty-seven percent of parents surveyed say they serve as a guide to good content. They monitor the sites their children visit, limit their time spent online, and set other rules about usage. Parents do have some concerns, however. The top three concerns cited by parents are that their children will encounter pornography, undesirable adults, and violent or hate content. Parents and children report that the Internet does not disrupt children's everyday habits and normal, healthy activities.