Six out of ten children 'lie about age on internet' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 08 February 2011
Six out of every 10 young people who make contact with strangers on the internet lie about their age, a new survey has revealed, and 43pc have online 'firends' they've never met in real life, says research to mark Safer Internet Day.
Young people are defying the dangers that adults have warned them about and are still taking chances that could put themselves at risk online, according to new research.
The survey from the childrens charity Kidscape interviewed more than 2,300 young Britons aged between 11 and 18 about their internet use.
The survey was held to mark Safer Internet Day today.
The survey results showed that currently one in two young people lied about their personal details on the internet. Of those, the one in eight young people who talk to strangers online are the most likely to lie, with 60pc lying about their age and 40pc about their personal relationships.
In a separate survey for online security firm Kaspersky Labs, YouGov found that as many as 43pc of people with internet access have online ‘friends’ they have never met in real life. Over half (54pc) of those aged between 18 and 24 have online friends they haven’t met in real life, identifying the possibility that young people today are sharing personal information from strangers.
Kidscape officials say their survey indicates that many young people adopt a different identity online,.
Peter Bradley, Kidscape's deputy director and a psychotherapist specialising in adolescents, said: "We were alarmed by the number of risks being taken by teenagers online.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
