Parents worry children's surfing Internet: blue paper

Many Chinese parents do not like their children using the Internet and a majority of them worry that surfing Internet could negatively affect children's school work, according to a blue paper on Internet use by minors in China released Friday.

The blue paper says 42.6 percent of the parents surveyed "strongly oppose their children's use of Internet" or "relatively oppose", while as high as 78.4 percent say they worry that surfing Internet could adversely affect children's study. Another 44.9 percent worry about their children's exposure to pornography online.

The blue paper was jointly published by the career development center for Chinese Young Pioneers, the Center for Humanities and Social Sciences Studies by Young Scholars at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Social Science Academic Press.

This was the first blue paper on Chinese youngsters, and the figures in the report were based on a survey conducted from 2006 to 2009, Li Wenge, director of the career development center for the Chinese Young Pioneers, said at a press conference for the release of the blue paper here Friday.

Li said the respondents surveyed were elementary and middle school students as well as their parents and teachers in both urban and rural areas, developed and less-developed areas in 11 provincial-level regions in China.

According to the blue paper, 46.9 percent of the online community users are under 25 years old.

However, there are very few websites designed especially for minors, and children did not know much about such websites, said Shen Jie, head of the research project for the blue paper.

Chinese Parents, Children Using Internet, Surfing Internet, Children School Work, Blue Paper, Internet Use by Minors, China, Pornography Online, Career Development Center, Chinese Young Pioneers, Center for Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, Young Scholars, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Social Science Academic Press, Li Wenge, Director of Career Development Center