3/4 children admit secretly visiting social networking sites without their parents knowledge
Three quarters of children admit secretly visiting social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo without their parents knowledge, according research by Professor Tanya Byron
The clinical psychologist and television presenter said that parents often could not face the "reality" of how much their children were using the sites.
She said her research showed the overwhelming majority of parents - 90 per cent - believed they had actually banned their children from using the sites.
However, according to the survey - conducted by on online parenting website Netmums - a similar proprtion admitted they allowed their children to use the internet unsupervised at home.
Professor Byron told The Daily Telegraph: “In Europe, the majority of young internet users are active on social networking sites and in the UK, it is estimated that about three quarters of young internet use social networking sites.
“So how is it that 90 per cent of adults don’t let their children on to social networking sites? Children are on them secretly, which is incredibly worrying and a big concern.”
Professor Byron said the big social networking sites had admitted to her that they did have a substantial amount of children using their sites. Facebook and Bebo have a lower age limit of 13.
The professor, who was commissioned by Gordon Brown to investigate the harmful effects of video games and websites, said parents needed to think more about the dangers of the internet.
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Source: Telegraph