In the past few months, adults have been asked about the effect of the Internet on kids' lives, and each survey has turned up some different findings.

• Pew Internet & American Life Project researchers found that while a majority of parents still believe the Internet is a beneficial factor in their children's lives, there has been a decrease in the percentage of parents who believe the Internet is a good addition in their kids lives since 2004 (59 percent vs. 67 percent).

• Common Sense Media found that 80 percent of parents who spend time online themselves believe the Internet is beneficial for the kids' academic and social lives. Yet, 71 percent of them say their kids have experienced problems via the web, from being exposed to bad language, commercialism, and spending too much time online and not outdoors.

• Thinkronize, the developer of netTrekker, an educational search engine designed for school and home use, commissioned a survey of educators by Interactive Educational System Design. Most teachers and principals said Internet filters and other safety measures on school PCs keep students "somewhat safe," but less than a third consider the students to be very safe. (You can find the full report on the Thinkronize web site.)

Percentages and question-wording may vary on all of these surveys, but a common thread running through them is that adults know the Internet is an integral part of kids' lives, but we are concerned they are being exposed to inappropriate, often useless, and sometimes hurtful information.

Filters and walled-off search engines like netTrekker can surely help, but they will not fully replace talking to your kids about how they use the Internet, what sites they visit, and how they determine which online resources are appropriate sources for school research projects.

So parents, how do you try to ensure that the Internet provides a safe, informative, and fun experience for your kids?

LINKS: Pew Internet & American Life Project: Parent and Teen Internet Use

Parenting Moves Online as Moms and Dads Balance Internet's Benefits and Dangers [Common Sense Media] 

k-8 Educators See Danger on the Internet Increasing [Thinkronize] 

Related: Parents Concerned But Positive About the Internet

NetTrekker Provides Safe Searches for Kids