Across the U.K., Garlik surveyed 500 kids aged 8-15 to learn their Internet habits, and 500 parents to find out how they monitor their children's online use. Despite the finding that 90 percent said they supervise their kids, the study found that almost half of the kids surveyed had found ways to circumvent their parents' methods.
Many kids even reveal personal information online, unbeknownst to their parents. Thirty percent reveal their full names, 20 percent hand out their cellphone numbers and 12 percent divulge their home addresses.
More than half of the children surveyed said they often used the Internet late at night, when parents are less apt to interfere with their online surfing.
"Our research is a shocking wake-up call to all parents in the U.K. to sit down with their children and talk about how to keep safe online," Garlik CEO Tom Ilube said. "The web is a wonderful place to explore but young people continue to make themselves vulnerable by not applying the same caution online as they would in person."
ASACP Executive Director Joan Irvine told XBIZ that though it's impossible to monitor one's children at all times, parents must take responsibility and set rules. She also recommends installing parental filtering software.
"According to some studies, only 50 percent of parents install parental filtering software," Irvine said. "This is very disconcerting, especially since companies expend resources to try to help parents protect their children. For example, ASACP recently launched the RTA – Restricted to Adults website label [and] Microsoft’s Vista operating system has enhanced parental control. Parents need to use these tools."
