But a new report by the watchdog Ofcom says parents are unaware of the dangers their children face by posting details about themselves on social networking sites, and should do more to monitor their use of sites such as Bebo and Facebook.

According to its research, around 27 per cent of eight to
11-year-olds who have internet access bypass online age restrictions to put their profiles on sites. The study also found that many parents and children lack awareness of the issues surrounding privacy and safety on the internet.

This isn't how it was supposed to be. Since they first appeared nearly a decade ago, social networking sites have flourished with the launch of Friends Reunited in 2000 and, more recently, Bebo, MySpace, Facebook and a Saga site for over-50s. They sparked a quiet social revolution, offering people of all ages an easy way of connecting and interacting with each other.

But today Ofcom says the websites, many of which are based in the United States, could do more to remind people of the risks involved in putting all their details online. Its research found that, of those with internet access, almost half of eight to
17-year-olds and 22 per cent of adults now have a profile on a social networking site. However, 16 per cent of parents don't know who can see their children's profiles and many believe that their kids are safer online than they actually are. The report also found that while more than a third of children admitted they didn't use privacy settings, only 30 per cent of parents knew that their children's profiles could be viewed by anyone online.

Robin Blake, head of media literacy at Ofcom, which commissioned the research, said: "People need to recognise that they have a responsibility to manage their own content and their children's access to content online. There is an issue about parenting, parents who are allowing their children to go online without any supervision.

"Normal parenting skills come into play. They need to recognise that their children are potentially at risk. When their children go out to play, parents often state ground rules about when they come back.

"Parents need to recognise that going online has the same kind of risks – having a computer in the child's bedroom is one of those things."

Blake says there are "huge benefits" for children using the social networking sites, just as long as they do so carefully. "We don't want parents to pull the plugs out of the wall."

Bebo and Facebook state that users must be 13 or older while youngsters using MySpace have to be at least 14. James Thickett, Ofcom's director of market research, says that while some eight to 11-year-olds were using the few sites specifically for children, such as Club Penguin, the "vast majority" weren't. "The sites tend to have a caveat that says, 'This is not appropriate for children under a certain age',
but this doesn't stop children using it."

Colin Sweetman, managing director of digital media services firm E-volutionary.net, says it comes down to parental responsibility. "The onus has to be on the parents to know what their child is doing, it's not the primary responsibility of the online providers.

"Most of the users of social network sites are relatively
young and, quite frankly, you wouldn't let your kids go and do things without knowing they were safe."

But he concedes that parents do need some support. "There is potentially a role for Government to play in providing guidelines for parents to follow, so that they can make sure their children are using the internet safely and responsibly."


"Normal parenting skills come into play. They need to recognise that their children are potentially at risk. When their children go out to play, parents often state ground rules about when they come back.

"Parents need to recognise that going online has the same kind of risks – having a computer in the child's bedroom is one of those things."

Blake says there are "huge benefits" for children using the social networking sites, just as long as they do so carefully. "We don't want parents to pull the plugs out of the wall."

Bebo and Facebook state that users must be 13 or older while youngsters using MySpace have to be at least 14. James Thickett, Ofcom's director of market research, says that while some eight to 11-year-olds were using the few sites specifically for children, such as Club Penguin, the "vast majority" weren't. "The sites tend to have a caveat that says, 'This is not appropriate for children under a certain age',
but this doesn't stop children using it."

Colin Sweetman, managing director of digital media services firm E-volutionary.net, says it comes down to parental responsibility. "The onus has to be on the parents to know what their child is doing, it's not the primary responsibility of the online providers.

"Most of the users of social network sites are relatively
young and, quite frankly, you wouldn't let your kids go and do things without knowing they were safe."

But he concedes that parents do need some support. "There is potentially a role for Government to play in providing guidelines for parents to follow, so that they can make sure their children are using the internet safely and responsibly."


WHO ARE THE SOCIAL NETWORKERS?
Alpha Socialisers – Mostly male, under 25s, who use sites in intense short bursts to flirt, meet new people and be entertained.

Attention Seekers – Mostly female (especially mothers) who crave attention and comments from others, often by posting photos and customising their profiles.

Followers – Males and females of all ages who join sites to keep up with what their peers are doing.

Faithfuls – Older males and females generally aged over 20, who use social networking sites to rekindle old friendships, often from school or university. They were using Friends Reunited when it burst on to the social networking scene.

Functionals – Mostly older males who tend to be single-minded in using sites for a particular purpose, such as following bands or music.