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Children in one in five Australian households are surfing the net before their 6th birthday and 30 per cent of young people are never supervised online, says a report on internet use.
The Sensis e-Business Report interviewed 1500 people and 1800 small and medium businesses in May. It found children in 71 per cent of households with under-18s were using the internet, with most beginning between the ages of 6 and 10.
But in 18 per cent of households, internet use began when children were 5 years or younger. Two-thirds of parents reported supervising their children online and 67 per cent said computers were kept in a communal area.
Of those not providing supervision, half said they never had, and 42 per cent had stopped when their children were between 11 and 15.
