Summer has arrived in the Baltimore area with its 80 degree mornings and high humidity. Kids are out of school, the pool is crowded and it now stays light outside until 9pm. Isn’t summer lovely?

As a kid I always enjoyed spending days outside by the pool and playing games with the neighborhood kids, I remember hating when my mom would call us in for dinner… that meant the day was over. Wow, am I making myself sound old…seems these days the only thing kids want to do over the summer is hang out inside and use the latest technology.

According to eMarketer, kids will spend their summer indoors entertaining themselves “traditionally”. “Traditionally” meaning playing video games, using social networking sites, and watching videos online…sounds traditional to me?

The internet is endless and kids are getting lost in it. Parents are concerned about their children’s safety while using the web. According to eMarketer, 85% of parents regularly check their kid’s online activity.

So what kind of information are the kids putting on the internet? Over the past few years kids are becoming more comfortable with the information they make public, some of which they would never have thought of putting on the web 2 years ago. Today kids and teens under the age of 18 are posting pictures and videos of themselves using drugs, alcohol and even fighting. Information such as cell phone numbers and location are even being posted without a blink of an eye.

What’s the problem with all this? One, it’s dangerous and two, marketers are targeting kids based off of all the free information. Marketers need to be careful and choose wisely when it comes to targeting kids. Regulations like The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) exist already to protect kid under 13 from marketing and I’m sure we will see many more regulations as technology keeps growing – marketers need to be careful of who they target and how.

I guess spending days at the pool and playing capture the flag are things of the past…especially when you can spend all day playing Webkins and checking Facebook.

Read the full article on eMarketer.com