A research commissioned by Telstra (Australian telecommunication and media company) shows that Australian children remain online for an average of two hours each day, which places them among the highest internet users in the world. The research was conducted by involving parents and children (10-17-year-old). According to the internet usage statistics provided by the research, parents were most concerned about three things when they were asked about the internet usage time of their kids. These were protecting personal information online, exposure to inappropriate content, and cyberbullying.

Jill Riseley, Telstra’s digital inclusion manager, said that parents have to show more responsibility in teaching their children to be good digital citizens because the number of kids online is far greater today than it was a few years back. She also said, “The research shows that on average kids are spending 14 hours online a week and the family home is the most common place kids are doing this.”

While some parents have set strict rules and regulations for their kids in connection with internet usage, there are others whom do not regulate the amount of time their children are spending online. The main concerns of parents regarding their kids using the internet are as follows.

Pornography

Pornography rules the online world along with a few other uncrowned virtual kings and queens. It’s so easy to access and all it takes is one click of the mouse that can take anyone squealing through loads of x-rated content. Even misspelled words on standard search engines can land kids on the wrong sites.

Solicitation

Minors are often approached for sexual contact via chat rooms, online forums, through games and emails. It doesn’t take much effort for the horny jerks sitting on the other side of the computer to try luring in a young target to fulfill their dark desires.

Predators

Sexual predators are as common online as salt is in sea water. They create fake accounts and reach out to innocent kids, thus starting the process of gaining the minor’s trust. Next, they isolate these kids, manipulate them, and gradually start having conversations about sexual topics and images.

Identity theft

It is very easy for expert online users to steal the identities of kids and they can even gain access to your hardware and steal vital information to share it further via the internet.

Distraction

Most of the times the internet can act as a real distraction for children and adults alike. It is very common for kids to sit in front of their computers with the intention of doing their homework but ending up having chats via social networks and playing games. With so much divided attention it would be difficult for anyone to actually finish any task, let alone homework.

Extremist material

Extremist and hate literature is abundantly available online. This literature can be traced back to groups that target gender groups, minorities, religious groups, cultural groups, and random people on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Viruses and spyware

These also rule the online world with an iron fist and are easy to get into your computer. Kids download different apps and software, and if they are not internet savvy then they risk downloading viruses into their device.

Gamble all the way

Online gambling among adolescents is on the rise and has also provided the ground for teenagers to indulge in risky behavior. Teens are drawn into this vice due to the excitement created around this topic by the media and the financial independence usually associated with gambling.

Taking the right measures

Parents can take the following measures, apart from using parental control software, to minimize the risks of their children landing on the wrong sites over the internet:

• View kids online activities with web tracking devices.
• Set up a timer that restricts the amount of internet time for the kids.
• Set controls on web use in such a way that your kids would need your authorization to visit any dubious sounding webpage.
• Remotely change parental control settings from any computer outside your home.
• Subscribe to controls alert messaging to inform you when someone tries to tamper with the control settings activated by you.