Social Networking

What is social networking?

Social networking websites like Bebo, Facebook and MySpace offer young people a central place on the Web where they can create their own online profile containing personal information, such as their name, email address, hobbies, likes and dislikes, photos and videos, and set up contacts or “friends” lists with whom to share it.

See what other families are saying about social networking in this video:

According to Ofcom, over half of children aged 8-15 in the UK, who use the internet at home, now have a social networking profile. Around a third of children aged 8-12 who use the internet at home have a social networking profile on sites that require users to register as being 13 or over (such as Bebo, Facebook or MySpace) Young people are increasingly restricting access to their profiles to friends, but some still keep their profiles public.

Most general social networking sites have a minimum age of 13, which means it’s particularly important to understand what they’re about if you’ve got teenage or soon-to-be-teenage kids. But, as the Ofcom research above reveals, parents of younger children also need to discuss social networking with their kids.

And don’t forget that your child might be accessing their social networks from their home computer, at a friend’s, or even on their mobile if it has internet access.

Did you know?

Facebook is the most visited website in the world and, according to a survey for UK National Family Week 2010, it has become one of the biggest influences on the lives of girls in particular

They might also have more than one social networking profile and hundreds of contacts on their friends lists, some of whom they don’t know in real life.

Watch this Teachtoday video about the potential misuse of technology:

Watch the video on Teachtoday

What do I need to know about social networking?

On the whole, young people have very positive experiences on social networking sites as they give them the opportunity to express themselves, socialise, create, share and much more.

There are some potential risks you should be aware of, however, and you can find more information about these in the following sections of this website:

What can I do about social networking?

You’re not alone if you haven’t set rules for your children when it comes to social networking – according to Ofcom, nearly half of young people in the UK claim that their parents haven’t.

Here, we suggest some guidelines you can put in place to help ensure that your kids enjoy this fascinating new social tool and avoid the pitfalls.

  • Take a look at some of the main social networking websites, like Bebo, Facebook and MySpace and set up your own profile if you don’t already have one
  • Talk to your son or daughter about social networking so you get an idea of what they do – they might even let you see their profile (but, be aware, they might have more than one profile and only show you their “official” one)
  • Explain to younger children why it’s important that they’re honest about their age when they register on social networking sites. Most general social networking sites have a minimum age of 13 or 14 so you might want to recommend a more suitable site such as Club Penguin for younger kids
  • Remind your child that the internet is a public place and that they are never anonymous – they should consider their “digital footprint” as comments or images they post on their social network now could stay online forever
  • Reiterate that when they meet someone on an online social network, they might not be who they say they are
  • Make the most of built-in tools – some sites automatically set children’s profiles to “private” and offer built-in tools to “ignore” unwanted attention, for example. If your child uses Facebook, please note that in December 2009, the company asked all its users to review and update their privacy controls – you can read more about this on Facebook’s blog
  • Read our articles about blogs & Twitter and video, as Twitter and video-sharing websites like YouTube are social media too

Where can I go for more information and support about social networking?

FAQs related to this article

Find out more about setting up a social networking profile

How old are your kids?

What you need to know to get started

  • 5-7 years old

    Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.

    Read more

  • 8-11 years old

    If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.

    This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.

    Read more

  • 12-14 years old

    They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.

    You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.

    Read more

  • 15+ years old

    Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

    It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

    Read more

How much do you know?

The average Facebook user has 130 friends on their profile

Take our test to give you an idea about how well you understand internet safety and new technologies. It’s quick and easy and will help you decide which parts of the website to visit.

Take the test