BEIJING, June 19 (UPI) -- An overwhelming majority of parents in China worry children's Internet surfing could hurt their schoolwork, a study reveals.
The three-year study found 80 percent of parents said they believe Internet use could worsen students' performance in school, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
Nearly 45 percent of parents expressed concern about children being exposed to porn on the Web and more than 40 percent said they oppose their children using the Internet.
The study was jointly published by Chinese Young Pioneers, the Center for Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Social Science Academic Press.
Parents of elementary and middle school students, teachers and students were surveyed from 2006 to 2009 for the study, said Li Wenge, director of the career development center for the Chinese Young Pioneers.
Responses came from urban and rural areas in 11 provincial regions in China.
While nearly half of Chinese Web users are under 25, few Chinese Web sites have been created especially for young people, researcher Shen Jie said.
