Making the Internet Safe for Kids

Experts proposed several ways to "lock down" the Web to keep kids safe, after two major studies have revealed that it's far too easy for kids to gain access to parts of the Internet that may be dangerous or simply inappropriate for them.

The ideas included using credit card numbers for log-ins, rather than merely entering a year of birth, or even a worldwide "Internet pass."

“No one is taking the responsibility to [to do age verification for kids],” Dr. Cindy Bunin, a family therapist, told FoxNews.com. Some argue the need for more laws. Bunin and others argue that it’s the responsibility of parents and the owners of social media sites to monitor usage.

That may be a problem.

One of those recent studies pointed to growing leniency among parents about what kids do online. A recent Consumer Reports survey found that 7.5 million kids are using Facebook, violating the company's age restrictions -- and in most cases, parents helped their child create an account.



Another survey of 1,000 adults by the Liberty Mutual's Responsibility Project found that parents are helping their kids access social networks, despite age restrictions for those under 13.

Yet, many parents are unaware of the dangers.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2011/05/14/web-dangerous-kids/