Can't we just let them be kids?

Back in the 60's when I was growing up we had the Moors murders, I don't personally remember reading about it, though I do sort of remember a change of attitude in the adults around me. It was probably there before but an emphasis was placed in not going off with strangers of being careful. The phrase I sort of remember was never to trust anyone if they offered to show me puppies. I suspect that child molesters and others who meant kids harm were far more wise to this ploy, but that's how it was done. As it is, evidence came to light that kids were in far more danger from family members than the general public, but that's by the by too.
Mail. (Usual caveats)

Children as young as three are to be taught how to use the internet safely.
A government campaign to highlight the ‘dark side’ of the web will also target men who take ‘risks’ when shopping and chatting online.
Ministers have vowed to ‘crack this problem’, warning too many people are reckless when posting personal information on websites.
Officially children under the age of 13 are not supposed to use sites like Facebook.
But with toddlers frequently using web-linked devices like iPads, the government says educating them about the risks cannot start too soon.
Very young children will be told how to managing their ‘online identity’ and why they should not put ‘inappropriate’ information on the internet.
Teenagers studying their GCSEs should also be taught about card fraud and the risk of identity theft.
‘For some aspects of it, you cannot go too early,’ a senior official told The Guardian.

Yes I know there's a dark side to the internet and that it has enabled those who mean our children no good at all a means to communicate with like minds. But three years old? Surely this should be something that parents are doing anyway? (I know, I know nanny state etc) I rather doubt many three year olds will be chatting online and giving out their personal information along with credit card numbers anyway. I know some 3 year olds who can spell their names, but that's about the limit anything else is likely to be paint programs and hunt the hidden object.
Too many times the government and others have used the 'for the cheeeldren' meme as a way of wasting our money, removing our liberties and generally irritating people who actually do know better. But what they don't seem to want is for children to be children. They appear to want them to grow up long before they mature. I know that some fear that ignorance is bliss exposes children to risk, but statistically, they'd do far better to keep their kids away from adult family members than computers.
I know that the age of innocence has gone, I know that there are dangers out there for kids. But the government really are not helping here, they rarely do.