Editorial: What are your kids up to online?

How much of the internet do your children have access to?

A question for parents: how many screens do your children have access to?

A Colmar Brunton survey commissioned by NZ On Air and the Broadcasting Standards Authority shows 72 per cent of kids aged 6 to 14 now have access to a tablet and 48 per cent have access to a smartphone.

It goes without saying that most children have a telly in the house, too.

But it's the online world - or perhaps underworld - that kids can be exposed to that parents are increasingly worried about.

According to the survey, 72 per cent of Kiwi kids are using the internet without parental supervision.

Six to 14 is a pretty wide age band - and parents of young teens may be a lot more comfortable about the online use than those of 6 and 7-year-olds.

But considering the internet is still very much the Wild West you'd want to ensure that no matter the age of your children, they're aware of your boundaries and guidelines when it comes to going online.

And you have to start early.

The younger your kids are when you set out the rules, the less they'll resent it when you ask about their online activities later.

The study shows kids' access to sexual material online was top of the list of parents' concerns about the internet.

It's good to see that, according to the survey, children have a greater awareness around what they should be watching on telly or online, with almost half choosing to change the channel or close the browser when shown unfavourable content.

But chances are, given these survey results, kids will at some stage see something online that they shouldn't, that disturbs or bothers them.

Ideally your kids will feel they can tell you about it - at least that way you can deal with their worries and questions.

But if your kids are more likely to keep it from you because they don't want to get in trouble and be banned from the internet you may never know what nasties they're being exposed to.