Over 60 percent of children worldwide have negative online experiences

From exposure to nudity and violence to having strangers try to meet them in real life, over 60 percent of children worldwide have had negative online experiences, according to the Norton Online Family Report 2010 released by Symantec.

More than half of children worldwide feel personal responsibility for these negative experiences, according to the report.

As the Internet is becoming increasingly popular, more and more children have learned to surf the Internet on their own. Inevitably, they have experienced certain uncomfortable online situations while having fun.

Symantec, the world's leading security software provider, conducted the survey in 14 countries and found that children can feel the powerful emotional impact of negative online experiences. Children are most likely to feel angry (39 percent) and upset (36 percent) as a result of such an incident. In addition, one-fifth of children worldwide regret something they have done online.

The survey shows that Chinese parents estimate their children spend 10 hours per week on the Internet on average, while the majority of parents in other countries believe it to be 12 hours. Chinese children claim that they actually spend 13 hours on average online each week.

According to the report, only 67 percent of parents in China think their children have had negative online experiences, while 87 percent of Chinese children reported that they have. Among these children, 55 percent have downloaded viruses, and 42 percent have seen violent or pornographic images.

Parents are not fully aware of what their children have done online. For instance, only 64 percent of parents think their children chat with friends online, while as many as 77 percent of children admitted to doing so.

By People's Daily Online
Additional support provided by LOTO