Parents’ Poll: Your Kids and the Internet

Kids are using the Internet on their own, according to a poll conducted by Highlights for Children and Glubble. And while most families have held conversations about Internet safety, parents are still concerned about which sites their kids visit. Here's what you told us about your kids and the Internet.

Parents' Poll: Your Kids and the Internet

  1. Do your kids use the Internet on their own?
    75%   yes
    25%   no

    Some of your comments:

    • They have favorite game sites saved in our Favorites folder.
    • My kids (1 and 3) don't even know what the Internet is.
    • [They use] only parent-approved sites. Glubble helps with this.
    • I have a computer where I can see the screen at all times.
    • Only through Glubble, so she cannot access unsuitable content.

  2. Have you had a conversation with your child about online-safety issues?
    77%   yes
    23%   no

  3. Do your kids use the Internet with you?
    81%   yes
    19%   no
    Games, research, homework, and school projects were frequently mentioned as ways parents and kids interact on the computer.

    Some of your comments:

    • We look things up to explore the world and learn new things.
    • We put together pictures and digital albums.
    • We visit sites for fun, activities, games, and to search for information.
    • We travel together to sites like YouTube that we wouldn't allow them to visit unsupervised.
    • We research and watch tutorial videos to learn more graphic-design skills together.

  4. Do you know which sites your kids are visiting?
    84%   yes
    16%   no

    If yes, how do you know which sites your kids have visited?

    Many of you said you do frequent checks of the browser history to see where kids have navigated.

    Some of your comments:

    • I type in the addresses for her.
    • I'm present.
    • Because we use Glubble, they have set sites they are allowed to visit.
    • I approved all the sites she can visit with Glubble.
    • I watch.
    • I check in on them when I think I hear the music change to see what they have changed to.

  5. How do you find and identify sites that are appropriate for your kids?
    57%   kids find them
    56%   links from other sites
    52%   school recommends
    44%   other parents tell me

    A number of you said that you check out sites before you let your kids visit them.

    Some of your comments:

    • I do my own research.
    • A lot of it is through family recommendations.
    • We use some of the sites that Glubble has plus ones that I have found while surfing.
    • We find sites from various media like TV, toys, and movies.
    • I find them myself and add them to Glubble.
    • Parental controls.
    • I rely on trusted sources like PBS.org.
    • Magazines, books, and me.
    • We visit sites of companies we already trust, like Highlights.
    • Mom bloggers!
    • Kids recommend to kids.

  6. What else would you like to share about your family's use of the Internet?

    • I feel scared. The Internet does not seem a safe place for my children, but I do not know how to protect them.

    • We're online all the time. Internet is quickly becoming the media outlet of choice for our family (when we're not reading books).

    • We limit the amount of computer time our child gets to less than 30 minutes several times per week. When he's older and in school, I know the amount of time will increase.

    • My daughter is online ALL the time with online-textbook quizzing and studying. My son mostly wants to play games.

    • It is clear that there is no "computer privacy" at our house. Our computer is in a very public location. The kids know that we track all Internet usage. Also, we love Glubble as an add-on to Firefox.

    • My kids know that if something makes them feel uncomfortable online, they can come to me, and my main concern will be to help them, even if they've done something wrong that backfired.

    • I love Glubble, and I could not have been more excited when I found this resource. I have recommended it to every parent I know!

    • I do not think a kid's email is a privacy issue when I am responsible for anything that happens. I make no bones about knowing who they talk to or when. I do not read everything, but I do spot checks.

    • Our kids enjoy Googling things, typically researching for school homework. We are always vigilant on what they are finding in Google.

    • No matter how careful you are, your kids will still probably find a way to access inappropriate sites as they get older. All you can do is stress the dangers to them as much as possible.

    • My daughter is only 4. I do not believe there is anything she can learn on the computer that she can learn more easily with printed media.

    • Children are doing more on the Internet then their parents, it seems. They are growing up with it. You have to watch out that they do not know more about it then you do yourself.

    • Glubble changed my life in regards to my daughter's Internet experience. She sometimes has issues with Glubble, but it gives me peace of mind, and overall, she is happy, too.

    • I never plan to let my children at any ages have a computer in their bedrooms. I also plan to set up our home network so that they have to log in and I can follow what all their activity has been.

    • Parents need to stay informed about the Internet. Our kids are going to find it anyway, so educate them and pay attention to what they are doing (not just on the Internet).

  7. How old are your kids? (The percentages indicate that a parent has at least one child in each of these age groups.)
    66%   six to ten years old
    41%   zero to five years old
    32%   eleven to fifteen years old
    11%   sixteen years or older