From Fox Business News:
For the fifth consecutive year, Cox Communications has partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(R) (NCMEC) and John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted, to inform parents of the potential dangers of the Internet and provide ways they can protect their kids online. Under the auspices of Cox’s Take Charge! program, the partners will present the results of a new survey on the behavior of young people online and their use of wireless devices.
Key results from the survey conducted by Harris Interactive include:
– Technology enabled: 91% of teens have an email address and 60% have an instant messenger screen name. 63% of teens have a cell phone and 59% have a digital camera.
– Acceptance of Social Networking: 72% of teens surveyed have online social networking profiles, where many have posted photos of themselves and their friends, along with personal information.
– Conflicted over Safety: 59% of teens say having personal information or photos on a public site is unsafe, supported by 26% saying they know someone who has had a negative experience as a result. Still, 62% of teens post photos of themselves on blogs or social networking sites on which greater than 40% name their school or the city in which they live.
– Prevalent Cyberbullying: More than 33% of teens surveyed have been cyberbullied, perpetrated cyberbullying or know of friends who have experienced or perpetrated it, and 68% think it is a serious problem. An estimated four in five teens believe that bullying online is easier to get away with or to hide from their parents than bullying in person.
– Engaging in Sexting: 19% of teens surveyed have engaged in sexting — sending, receiving or forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photos through text message or email. 60% of teens who sent sexts say they send photos to their boyfriend/girlfriend, but 11% say they have sent sexts to someone they do not even know. 81% of teen sexters are under 18.
– Online Wirelessly: 19% of teens surveyed connect online via their cell phone and 19% say their parents are unaware. 80% of teens whose parents know they are online via their cell phone, say they are not given any limits or controls.
Filed under: Internet Safety
