By combining profiles, chat, messaging, photo albums and blogging, Social networking sites (SNS) integrate online activities more seamlessly than ever. Social networks are used for myriad purposes and by a wide range of users. Different sites have different profile formats which allow users to share different information about themselves. This offers children many opportunities, but possibly also more risks.
Unfortunately, only two social networking sites – Bebo and MySpace – have built-in protection of minors user profiles – this results from the audit commissioned by the European Commission.
Offered by most social networking sites the ability to sign people in the pictures makes images on the internet to find a particular person is very easy. Teens are vulnerable to other threats on the Internet, such as solicitation for sexual purposes and cyberbullying. With the interactivity that web 2.0 technologies enable, it is also important to remember that in addition to being victims young people can also initiate or participate in anti-social or criminal activities. That’s why children and teenagers need adequate security tools by which they can responsibly use their online identity.
Inspection also revealed that only as four portals (Bebo, MySpace, Netlog and SchuelerVZ) ensure that the underage users can contact only their friends. EC inspections were carried out between December 2010 and January 2011, it covered 14 sites: Arto, Bebo, Facebook, Giovani.it, Hyves, Myspace, NK.pl, Netlog, One.lt, Rate.ee, SchülerVZ, IRC Galleria, Tuenti and Zap.lu. A further nine sites will be audited this year.
The results of earlier this year EUKidsOnline studies indicate that 56 percent. 11-12-year-olds and 78 percent. 15-16-year-old claims that he knows how to change the privacy settings on their profiles on social networking sites.
Europeans are online from a very early age
- At 6 years old: 42% of European children use the Internet
- At 11 years old: 80% of European children use the Internet
- At 15 years old: 84% of the European teenagers use the Internet
- 11% of children in the EU own a mobile with Internet access
Social networking sites are popular among European children
- 38% of 9-12 year olds and 77% of 13-16 year olds have a profile.
- Facebook is used by one third of 9-16 year old internet users. Age restrictions are only partially effective, although there are many differences by country and SNS. One in five 9-12 year olds have a Facebook profile, rising to over 4 in 10 in some countries.
- Note that, one fifth of children whose profile is public display their address and/or phone number, twice as many as for those with private profiles.
The features designed to protect children from other users if needed are not easily understood, by many younger and some older children. The number of underage users of social networks in the EU is growing each month.
More info you will find there: http://ec.europa.eu/