Kids concerned over parents' surfing

A Swedish charity has seen a rise in complaints about parents' surfing habits

An annual report from a charity that runs a children's helpline in Sweden has revealed growing numbers of youngsters worried by their parents' use of the internet.

Barnens Rätt i Samhället reported a dramatic rise in complaints to 1,895 in the past year from children about their parents' online behaviour.

While it was less of a problem in children's lives than bullying, the charity said that the problem is raising concerns.

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but my mother has started playing the computer game World of Warcraft," a 13 year-old girl told Sweden's The Local.

"This summer she has been sitting up all day and all night and she forgets what's important to me. And when she's not at the computer she's like a lost soul. She just looks straight ahead and says nothing."

However, the most frequent problem raised by children was about the father's internet use, typically because they were viewing pornography or trying to conduct affairs.

One 15 year-old boy wrote: "It seems that my dad is 'unfaithful'. I read his MSN conversation log. I was just curious. And then I saw that he was talking to young girls. And the disgusting part is that he's 53.

"And they talk about sex and how they're going to meet and everything. It makes me want to puke. It really makes me feel bad."