The internet generation is getting younger and younger. A new report states that kids as young as 3-year-old are already very familiar with the World Wide Web. Some of them could even access age-sensitive content and it is becoming a real concern for parents.
The report, which comes from AgeChecked, cites that more and more children are surfing online before they actually start school. Some kids are learning to use the internet first before they can even read and write. Suffice to say, their childhood is increasingly becoming a lot more different than when their parents were growing up.
Mom Lucy Hutchinson shared, via Daily Mail, that her son was able to access inappropriate videos on the iPad. So, they immediately had to set up parental controls and yet, little Noah was still able to find more inappropriate content online. Thus, the need to enforce stricter measures to protect very young kids from the internet has been raised.
In the age of social media and digital communication, young children are really vulnerable online. But another parent said that the reality is children today do not know what it is like to live in a world without the digital advancement. "This is great for his development and education and he's always supervised while using the internet at the moment, but I do worry about when he's of an age to have his own devices in his own space," Anne Arnold said via Manchester Evening News.
Just downloaded #weekend #reading "Parenting the Internet Generation"- https://t.co/PBVtpikKi2 @CovenantEyes pic.twitter.com/GdKq1d6HuP
— Thomas Kalau (@kalARTproject) May 26, 2016
AgeChecked states that there is indeed great pressure on the part of the parents of the internet generation. But apart from ensuring that the kids are taught healthy habits with internet use -- with parents limiting or delaying this -- the software site also called on other web owners and online services to be more aware of how their sites can influence children.
AgeChecked suggests website owners should have "age filters that prevent children accessing inappropriate content and services," per its CEO Alastair Graham in the reports. Additionally, governments should work to enforce verification and protection especially when it comes to pornographic sites. This is not just a problem on parenting, but it has glaring implications on social and moral issue as well.
What's your take on this, parents? Do you have toddlers growing more familiar with internet use? What do you do to protect them? Let us know in the comments below.
