Recent headlines about the discovery and removal of 29,000 registered sex offenders on MySpace have added fuel to the fiery debate about the safety of online social networks.
A recent Minnesota Public Radio show on social networking sites and teens should be of special interest to parents, educators, researchers and anyone interested in the way digital communication is shaping the lives of young people.
The majority of teens actively manage their online profiles to keep the information they believe is most sensitive away from the unwanted gaze of strangers, parents and other adults.
Today’s American teens live in a world enveloped by communications technologies; the internet and cell phones have become a central force that fuels the rhythm of daily life.
54% of parents with teenagers use internet filters – a big jump from 2000. Yet both teens and parents believe that youth do things online that their parents would not like.