Teens and tweens spend a lot of time on social networking
websites, like MySpace, Facebook and Xanga. But guess what –
boys and girls use them differently! According to a study by the
Pew Internet & American Life Project, girls go online to hang
out and gossip with the friends they already have. While boys
log on to make new friends, and to flirt with girls. Here’s what
else the study reveals: - Over half of the teenagers in the
United States use social networking sites. - Older girls are
more likely than older boys to create online profiles. - And
most teenagers know about the risks of revealing too much
personal information – and take steps to protect their privacy.
Which should make parents, politicians and school officials
happy. - Also in the study: Most of the girls said that they
were afraid of the “creepy 40-year-old man coming after” them.
The good news is – not one of them said that an adult stranger
had actually contacted them. Obviously, if you’re a parent, you
should keep an eye on what your kids