Protecting Teens Online Is On The Rise

Posted by Ken

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A new survey from the Pew Internet Project shows 54% of parents with teenagers use Internet filters. That’s a 65% increase from the year 2000. But despite the increase in protection, parents and teens both still believe that teens try to do things they shouldn’t online.

The survey included 1,100 youths (ages 12 to 17) and their parents. Parents who use the Internet frequently themselves and have middle-aged teens living at home were more likely to use these filters. Parents who didn’t use the computer much and had older kids, filter usage dropped.

As parents, we struggle with letting our child(ren) exercise their independence and knowing when to reign them in when they go astray. But as hard as we try there will always be that struggle, and the Internet will be no exception.

The survey shows that 74% of families are putting the family computer in a more open area of the house. About 64% of parents place rules on their teens for online activity.

Do you set rules for your kids when it comes to being online?

Do you allow your child to have a computer in their room where you can’t keep an eye on them?

Remember, it’s not prying; it’s being a responsible parent to get involved with your kids online and offline. You can still let them exercise their independence, just don’t let them do it without you.