As debates about on-line kid safety escalate, a new research study reveals that more parents than ever are actively monitoring the amount of time their kids spend on the Net, as well as the Web sites they visit while surfing. A third annual study called ‘The Future of the Internet According to Kids’ found that 46% of its 1,275 kid participants (ages four to 18) say their parents set time limits for Internet usage. In addition, 62% say their folks keep tabs on the sites they hit while on-line.

Two-thirds of kids polled by SpectraCom and Circle 1 Network plan to spend more time on the Web in the next five years, with 60% expecting the Internet to replace the tube as the most popular form of youth entertainment.

On-line retail efforts seem to be hitting their mark with kids, as 40% of the study’s participants have asked their parents to buy a product they saw advertised on the Web. However, it seems that most kids still prefer the mall-a full 70% don’t foresee the Internet becoming a one-stop shopping destination in the near future.