Parents Fret but Won't Curb Kids' Web Surfing

Some kids quick to 'unfriend'; others call it 'sensible'

(NEWSER) - For some parents, Facebook has become a window into the lives of their children, a means for mom and dad to monitor—and sometimes admonish—their kids. “It's so much easier to keep track of what they eat and when they pick their nose this way,” notes one parent. Some kids don’t mind the virtual relationship, the Wall Street Journal reports, while others have “unfriended” their parents in a bid for independence—or as a way to avoid their "pestering," says one 25-year-old who was chided for posting photos of barhopping then asking dad for cash. More»

(NEWSER) - Facebook is graying, and the Web has already produced an outlet for youngsters fleeing the site to escape friend requests from—gasp!—their parents, Time reports. MyParentsJoinedFacebook.com collects horror stories of parental incursion into the once uniformly young realm of social networking. “No matter how embarrassing your mom is,” one of the founders says, “there's someone who's a thousand times worse.” More»

Gizmos proliferate amid concerns on distracted driving

(NEWSER) - Imagine cruising down the highway at 65mph while checking tweets, buying movie tickets online, or booking reservations at a restaurant. This scenario is the not-too-distant future of driving, reports the Wall Street Journal , as auto manufacturers seek to design an innovative "connected car" full of Internet-accessible gadgetry. The push for a tech-infused car comes as a national push for rules banning phones in cars seems to be fizzling out and automakers look to entice the youth demographic. More»

Court threatens to come down on firms 'like China'

(NEWSER) - A strongly-worded directive from an Indian court, threatening to crack down on websites "like China," has pushed Google and Facebook to bar some content on Indian domains, Reuters reports. Some 19 other companies have also been asked to block material considered offensive to Hindus, Muslims, and Christians following a court case. The companies haven't yet given details of what was removed. More»

Lamar Smith seems unfazed by powerful opponents to piracy bill

(NEWSER) - Rep. Lamar Smith, author of the fiercely controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, doesn't sound like he's bothered much by the heated opposition from e-powerhouses such as Facebook, Google, Reddit, and Twitter. "It is amazing to me that the opponents apparently don't want to protect American consumers and businesses," the Texas Republican tells Reuters . The SOPA bill, which would authorize the government to seek federal injunctions against foreign-based websites suspected of piracy, is still in committee hearings and could reach the House floor in a few weeks. More»