Two-thirds of teenagers focus on social sites

Social networks are the primary destination online for teenagers, according to new research from Microsoft shedding light on young people's browsing patterns.

Over two-thirds (67%) of teenagers spend the majority of their time on social networks, with 15% saying instant messaging services are their main use of the web.

The results, which come on Safety Internet Day, are part of the European Online Safety Survey, for which market research firm Cross Tab queried 21,765 teenagers in nine European countries.

However, the results also indicated that almost a third (29%) of respondents said they had been bullied online, with over half (51%) saying they surfed online without any parental supervision.

John Mangelaars, head of Microsoft's consumer and online divisions in Europe, said, "The advent of social media has helped our children become sophisticated web users, but they still need help and guidance on how to tackle emerging issues such as online bullying. The findings reveal worrying gaps in their internet education."

But the report comes a day after the EU revealed a deal with social media sites, including Facebook, Bebo and YouTube, aimed to help prevent children becoming victims of bullying online.

Published by: Will Cooper

Published 10th February, 2009

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