According to a recent report many parents in the UK are failing to properly monitor their kids’ use of broadband, which could have all sorts of implications.

With broadband now available so cheaply and readily many households with children have signed up to this service, making it possible for both children and adults in the home to enjoy continuous access to the Internet for a low, fixed monthly price. Many parents think that having broadband in the home will be good for their kids, in particular for educational reasons.

However, with kids being kids many will use this unlimited access to the Internet for reasons other than to study. In fact, according to recent research children aged between eleven and sixteen spoke about what they had used their broadband for over the recent school holidays. Forty eight percent admitted that they had been downloading music, forty five percent said that they had been using chat rooms, and forty percent said that they had been using social networking sites such as Facebook.

However, worryingly, it also emerged that around eighty four percent of parents were failing to properly monitor their kids’ use of broadband, with this huge number of parents relying on a simple promise from their kids with regards to what they would and would not do online. Experts have said that not only can this lack of monitoring end up costing the parents money but it could even prove dangerous.

One official said: “We were surprised to learn that such a high proportion of parents heavily rely on verbal agreements to ensure their children’s online activities are safe and legal. Children are often more tech-savvy than their parents and the click of a mouse can take them anywhere. This research highlights the need for parents to be aware of the simple checks they can put in place to safeguard children who are increasingly using the internet to build new relationships.”

He added: “As well as the possible safety issues, there are financial implications to your child’s internet activities. With 48% downloading music online it would be easy to exceed your broadband fair usage limit leaving unsuspecting parents out of pocket at the end of the month.”