According to a study by the University of Antwerp (UA), nine out of 10 Belgian tieners (youngsters) between 10 and 19 are members of one or other such site. This may bring many benefits. Without the ubiquitous Facebook, for example, where users can also post events and invite others, how much of a success would Belgium's "Shame: no government, great country" march in Brussels have been?

That such sites are so popular is not news. What is novel about this latest study is the level of understanding that these tieners have about the care they should take when accepting requests to be "friends", how the information they disclose is used and how quickly information they would rather keep private can make its way around the superhighway.

While six out of 10 youngsters have used privacy controls on such websites to restrict access to their personal data, still a quarter have never adapted them. According to UA's Michel Walrave, author of the study, it's the younger children who are less likely to do this. They are also more likely to accept friend requests from someone they never met in an offline (real life) context.

"The tendency is that younger children are using privacy controls less and giving broader access to their data, while older ones give more information such as their cell phone number and relationship status but try to restrict this information to a smaller group," he explains. "We can ask ourselves if social networking sites are an ideal context for very young teenagers."

Opportunities and risks
According to Professor Walrave, social networking sites provide three principal benefits for youngsters: They create a communication channel below the radar screen of their parents; they allow them to manage their image; and they remove inhibitions, allowing them to communicate more freely than in a face-to-face context.

The flip-side to these opportunities is that many parents (those who didn't really progress from the space invaders) are left in the dark about a large chunk of their child's life; many teenagers do not think before they post (or in some cases drink before they post - witness some of the salacious snaps online); and being able to communicate more freely can expose them to abuse.

Aside from providing a hunting ground for paedophiles, children can unwittingly give ammunition to so-called friends or friends of friends (an option on some networking sites). "The negative side of the inhibition effect is cyber bullying. People can become more direct and aggressive, post a picture or a comment on a person's profile," says Walrave.

The study found that more than four out of 10 Belgian teenagers had already had someone post a negative comment on their profile and almost three out of 10 had made such a posting. Then there are the photos. You may choose what you post on your own profile, but other people can post pictures of you, too. Close to a third of respondents said in their case these had not always been flattering.

Finally, as if we needed convincing any more of their innocence and vulnerability, a similar split between older and younger children could be seen in their understanding of why such sites exist and how their personal information is used. For younger ones, these sites are there to make life fun. "Older teenagers are aware that their information, even if restricted to friends, is analysed and used to send them targeted advertising," says Walrave.

Where does the responsibility lie?
According to Walrave, it is partly up to the social networking sites themselves to step up to the plate. "The message in the study is that there is a responsibility for them to adapt their privacy settings and integrate awareness information into their site so that users understand the opportunities and the risks."

Teachers and parents also have a role to play and should no longer ignore this phenomenon given that, for so many children, social networking sites have a prominent place in their lives. Walrave recommends that they get their own profile to understand the opportunities and the downsides - but respect your kids' privacy. "Show you are interested but not monitoring them."

Last but not least, he says policymakers should ensure minors are protected from the darker side of the internet. The European Commission is already engaged in a review of its Data Protection Directive, which is applied in all 27 EU member states.

A key goal in the review of the law, which is 15 years old and predates social networking sites, is to bolster citizens' rights. Viviane Reding, European Justice Commissioner, says: "This is especially true for social networking sites, where teens post photos while having fun and then forget about them. These images may come back to haunt them when they have a job interview years later. Certain photos may not just be embarrassing, they could also lead to traumatic situations."

She wants to introduce a "right to be forgotten" into the law, allowing people to withdraw information that they posted on the internet in their less discerning days. "It's important to empower children and teens to be in control of their online identity...I want this concept to become part of the EU's data protection rules so that citizens' rights are further strengthened."

Walrave adds: "We should also encourage our youngsters to carry on with their offline lives. It's very important that these tools are new opportunities and that they don't replace other activities. The offline world gives more opportunity for children to develop relationships and build their identities." It also can be a lot safer.

Useful addresses
The following websites provide children and adults with information about safer surfing
www.saferinternet.org
www.clicksafe.be
www.veiligonline.be
www.ikbeslis.be

Social network study in figures

54%
of youngsters admit they pay less attention to homework because of the time they spend networking

1 in 10
prefer communicating via their profile page than face-to-face

17%
use these sites to find a boyfriend or girlfriend

1 in 10
accept all friendship requests, even from strangers

43%
of 10-13 year olds said they had problems understanding privacy settings