Social media monitoring for kids — How does New Jersey compare?

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy recently called for warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those used on cigarette packages.

Some parents actively control what their children access online. In South Dakota, 80% of parents control their children's use of the internet, according to an online survey of 3,000 parents conducted by Hosting Advice, a web hosting adviser.

What about New Jersey? Fifty percent of parents in the Garden State actively control websites and social media platforms their children use, the survey said. That's slightly below the national average of 52%.

Overall, this is how parents monitor their children's online activities:

• 33% of parents routinely check their children's browser history
• 25% of parents use parental control software
• 22% of respondents said they have conversations with their children about safe internet practices
• 18% said they occasionally restrict online access

When it comes to age, 45% of parents think social media is suitable for those 13 and older; 37% said 16 is the appropriate age.

Parents were mainly concerned about their children being exposed to inappropriate content (44%) and cyberbullying (27%). Eleven percent were concerned about the sharing of their children's personal data.