Parents leaving children to surf web without protection

Moreover, the survey by PBI / Gemius, analysed by Atmedia, shows that unsupervised internet use by minors leads many of them to visit erotic web sites. In 2011 the number of kids visiting pornographic web sites increased by 40 percent.

Almost 1.3 million children use the internet everyday in Poland, a rise of 20 percent on 2010 figures.

One-in-three preschool aged children (four to six years of age) log on at least once a week for around 45 minutes.

“All the research worldwide shows that the age [children start using the web] is getting younger and younger,” Lukasz Wojtasik of the Nobody's Children Foundation told the Rzeczpospolita daily.

Fifty eight percent of children, however, could not recall parents ever sitting down and surfing the web with them.

“Interestingly, children want and expect support from their parents when using the internet,” says Dr. Lucyna Kirwil, a psychologist at KidsOnlineII.

The EU Kids Online project finds in its own research that European children average 88 minutes a day online, ranging from one hour for 9-10 year olds to two hours for 15-16 year olds.

Nearly half of European children go online in their bedroom, and one third go online on a mobile phone or handheld device. (pg)