The Secret Life of the Online Teenager

Mum's the Word THE SECRET LIFE OF THE ONLINE TEENAGER Half of teens say they've been using the Internet for five years or more, and 58% consider themselves heavy users. The time teens spend online is more secret than ever, and their lives and computers are more at risk than you may think. Most Popular Online Activities Among Teens (Percentage of teens who say they do the following activities online.) 81% 80% 61% 53% Social Networking Research for School Assignments Gaming View Downloaded Media A Matter of Trust : Parents in the Dark 56% 26% of teens say their admit their parents don't parents know some have time to monitor their 91% but not all of what Internet activities. they do online. 32% 31% of kids suprisingly say their parents trust them to act of teens don't tell would change their appropriately online. their parents what behavior if they knew they do online. their parents were watching. Common Ways Kids Hide Online Activities (Percentage of teens who say they do the following to hide their online activities.) 21% XCLEAR ALL One-third of teens clear the browser history. say that they "often" or "always" hide their online activities. 29% 20% minimize the hide and delete browser when their parents are nearby. text messages. What Teens Share Behind Parents' Backs While 95% of teens are confident in their ability to stay safe online, their risky behaviors suggest otherwise. RISKY BEHAVIORS 69% Openly reveal their physical locations. 29% Download programs without their parents' knowledge. 28% Chat with strangers online. 27% Accidentally infect their home computers with viruses or other malware. 14% Share their passwords with friends. Of the Teens Who Chat with Strangers*: Hello. My name is 43% 24% 19% 12% post photos of themselves. post their cell phone numbers. share their share their first names. email addresses. 32% 24% of teen girls chat with strangers online. of teen boys chat with strangers online. *Defined as people they don't know in the offline world. Take steps to protect your teenagers by openly discussing their online activities. As an added safety precaution, consider using parental controls on your home computer to filter and block inappropriate websites and limit time spent online. TIP Z ZONEALARM SOURCE: HARRISINTERACTIVE.COM by Check Point