Is Your Teen Online?

(Source anonymous) Whether it's talking in chat rooms, viewing pornography or cheating on a test, teenagers really don't want their parents to know what they do online. 70% of teens hide their online behavior from their parents, up from 45% just two years ago, according to a survey by McAfee, a security technology company. And they're getting away with it. Many parents feel overwhelmed by technology and just hope for the best. So much for that approach. Their teenagers are not only engaging in risky behavior online, but also have become expert in fooling their parents. Despite their awareness of online dangers, teens continue to take risks by posting personal information and risky photos online, unbeknownst to parents.
The top 10 ways teens fool their parents about their online activities:

1. Clear the browser history: 53%
2. Close/minimize the browser when a parent walks in the room: 46%
3. Hide or delete IMs or videos: 34%
4. Lie or omit details about online activities: 23%
5. Use a computer parents don't check: 23%
6. Use an Internet-enabled mobile device: 21%
7. Use privacy settings to make certain content viewable only by friends: 20%
8. Use private browsing modes: 20%
9. Create private e-mail address unknown to parents: 15%
10. Create duplicate/fake social network profiles: 9%

As teens continue to outsmart their parents online, more and more teens are participating in dangerous and even illegal activities, including:

• 15% of teens have hacked a social network account.
• 30.7% have accessed pirated movies and music.
• 8.7% have hacked someone else's e-mail online.
• 16% of teens admit to looking for test answers on their phone.
• 48% of teens have looked up answers online.

Posted in: