Online dangers
by June 28, 2010 10:40 am 57 views
A new survey from Cox Communications shows that 46% of teens allow unrestricted access to their online profiles and 62% don’t check with parents before posting photos.
Cox and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) issued the survey as part of the 5th Annual National Teen Summit on Internet Safety.
"Since the first survey was done in 2006, we have witnessed a huge increase in the numbers of teens engaged in social networks online," Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC, said in a statement. "Too many teens still do not really understand the risks and too many teens are posting too much personal information."
Peter Picard, vice president of TRU, the research firm that conducted the 2010 survey, said the survey responses from the teens are similar to their attitudes in surveys about other risky behaviors such as drinking, drug use, sex or driving — they know the dangers, but are not concerned about the personal implications for themselves.
"Full of the confidence of youth and still under the protective umbrella of parents, teens simply feel immune to danger and consequence,” Picard said.
SURVEY FINDINGS
• 84% have a cell phone (up from 63% in 2006).
• 84% of teens have a social network profile (up from 51% in 2006).
• 92% are social media friends with people they don’t know well, if at all.
• 46% offer open access to their online profile information.
• 82% of teens understand that online posts can affect their reputation.
• 73% said they’d be upset if their reputations were damaged by their online postings; losing the respect of parents was the top concern.
• Still, 62% of teens never check with a parent before they post a photo online, and 67% never check before posting a status update.
• Only 32% of teens thought the information they present online would negatively impact their future.
• Only about half, 55%, understood that their digital reputations could affect their ability to get into the college of their choice.
• 88% worry about posting their contact information online, but 71% have posted the name of their city (up from 59% in 2007), and 29% have posted their cell phone number (up from 8% in 2007).