siliconvalley.internet.com/news/article.php/767621
By Michael Singer May 16, 2001 In a shocking admission, nearly three-fourths of parents surveyed say it is acceptable to monitor their children's e-mail without permission, while 82 percent of parents say that it's necessary for households with children to be equipped with child-filtering and SPAM control to block unsuitable Internet material. Cupertino-based Telocity.com, the DSL division of DirectTV provider HUGHES (NYSE: GMH) and Stanford University released the joint survey Wednesday. The goal was to find out how families use the Internet and how parents supervise their children's online behavior. "As a parent myself, I know how important it is to stay connected to your kids and to understand what is influencing them," says Telocity president Ned Hayes. The survey, conducted by David Binder Research of San Francisco, interviewed 800 parents, mostly mothers, nationwide. Each parent surveyed has a home Internet connection and at least one child between the ages of 5 and 18 who lives in the same household. So what are parents saying about their children and the Internet? Well, 59 percent of mothers and 51 percent of fathers surveyed say a parent should monitor children's Internet browsing at all times, while 91 percent say parents should limit their children's time on line. Only 1 percent of parents surveyed say parents should never monitor their children's Web surfing. "There is no doubt that the Internet is causing dramatic changes in family life and parents want to have more control over what their children can find on the Internet," says Coye Cheshire, a fourth-year Stanford University graduate student in sociology who helped develop the survey. "I believe this study is the first comprehensive look at parental attitudes toward children's Internet activities." An overwhelming majority, 81 percent, of parents were concerned about violations to their privacy when using the Internet. However, 65 percent of those same parents feel the Internet is a necessary tool for students to complete their homework. Telocity, which provides high-speed access to homes, says the key to safe surfing is to take precautions with things like common sense rules and filters. "For parents who have been wary of the Internet, we are going to show them how to leverage this wonderful technology to help with the needs of today's fast paced family and have some fun in the process," says Hayes. |
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