In a number of areas in China, a service that bars pornographic and other information unsuitable for minors on home computers has been much welcomed by parents.

"The number of subscribers for the service has been rising fast," said an official with China Telecom, which currently offers the service in some localities, including Chongqing, Zhejiang and Guangdong, on trial basis.

The user-friendly service enables users to submit an application on-line or call the service hotline of China Telecom and all the subsequent Internet setup can be done automatically by this China's largest telecom operator.

With the service, parents could overlook the time their kids spend on Internet surfing, on-line games and chatting, as well as the content the kids see. It also enables the parents to keep track of what the kids do with the Internet.

The Internet is viewed as a double-edged sword in the eyes of many parents. On one hand, they see the Internet as an useful tool to help the kids know the world better. On the other hand, they fear unhealthy information may erode the minds of their kids, which are susceptible to bad as well as good influences.

(People's Daily July 8, 2004)