Kids are sharing too much online, and social networks aren't doing enough to protect them.

Those were the sentiments expressed by parents in a study released yesterday by Common Sense Media. Two nationwide polls conducted in August, one of adults and one of teens, found that 92 percent of parents believe their kids are sharing too much information about themselves online. And 85 percent said they're more concerned about online privacy than they were five years ago.

Three out of four parents also believe social networks aren't doing a good job of protecting the privacy of kids, while 71 percent of adults in general feel the same.



With parents so worried about their childrens' online activities, many of them are grasping for ideas and solutions.

A majority feel that search engines and social networks should not be able to share the physical location of a child with other companies unless the parents approve. Only half of parents said they read the terms of service on a Web site, though most would read them if they were shorter and clearer. And 69 percent of those polled believe online privacy should be a shared responsibility among individuals and the online companies.
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