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(CR)-According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, two-thirds of parents are very concerned with the amount of sex and violence in the media. A survey released Tuesday also indicated there would be broad support for new federal limits on such material on television.According to the survey, “Parents, Children & Media: A Kaiser Family Foundation Survey,” 65 percent of parents say they “closely” monitor their children’s media use, while just 18 percent say they “should do more.”When asked if exposure to violence in the media contributed to violent behavior in children, 43 percent of parents said “a lot,” while 38 percent said somewhat. About a quarter of parents (23 percent) say inappropriate media content is one of their “top” concerns as a parent, while another 51 percent say it’s a “big” concern, but not one of the top concerns.Parents were also asked if they thought exposure to sexual content contributed to children becoming involved in sexual situations before they are ready. More that half of the parents (55 percent) said that sexual content concerned them a lot.One in three parents (34 percent) say they are “very” concerned that their children are exposed to too many ads in the TV programming they watch, while 35 percent say they’re “somewhat” concerned, 18 percent say they are “not too” concerned and 11 percent are “not at all” concerned.“While parents are still concerned about a lot of what they see in the media, most are surprisingly confident that they've got a handle on what their own kids are seeing and doing - even when it comes to the Internet,” said Vicky Rideout, vice president and director of Kaiser’s Program for the Study of Entertainment Media and Health.Among parents who have used any of the media ratings, the proportion who say they find them “very” useful has increased over the years, from 43 percent to 58 percent for video game ratings, 45 percent to 56 percent for music advisories, and 42 percent to 49 percent for the TV ratings.The survey also found that parents are particularly confident in monitoring their children’s online activities. Nearly three out of four parents (73 percent) say they know “a lot” about what their kids are doing online (among all parents with children nine or older who use the Internet at home). Most parents whose children engage in these activities say they check their children’s Instant Messaging (IM) “buddy lists” (87 percent), review their children’s profiles on social networking sites (82 percent), and look to see what websites they’ve visited (76 percent) after they’ve gone online. As in the days of Noah....
