Survey Indicates Teens Holding Back Online

San Francisco Chronicle

They’re finally getting the message.

At least that is what experts hope after reviewing the results of a recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Teenagers are starting to realize they can’t put personal information on MySpace and Facebook, two popular social-networking sites.

The survey, released last week, found that two-thirds of teenagers who use social-networking sites keep their profiles private, and nearly half include false information.

The report comes as social-networking sites are scrutinized, and parents and teachers raise concerns about online safety. In a high- profile case, four families sued MySpace earlier this year after their teenage daughters were assaulted by men they met online.

But the survey of 1,000 people ages 12 to 17 and their parents suggested that, just as social-networking sites have evolved, so have their members. They’re getting smarter about what they publish online and what they don’t.

“I think teens are getting the message,” said Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist with Pew and co-author of the report. “A lot of teens have been bombarded by the message that social networks are not safe. This is something teens are living with and swimming with every day and that’s reflected in the steps they’re taking.”

More than half of teenagers who use the Internet post profiles online. Of them, 82 percent use their first name in their profiles. Nearly 80 percent post photos of themselves, 61 percent disclose their hometown and 49 percent give the name of their school.

Still, some teenagers provide more information: 11 percent of teens on social-networking sites publish their first and last names on their profiles and 2 percent have included their cell-phone numbers.

“The teens you worry about are the ones who do take risks,” Lenhart said.

Only 7 percent, however, said they have ever felt scared or uncomfortable after interacting with a stranger on MySpace, Facebook or similar sites online.

(c) 2007 Topeka Capital Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.