Why Social Networking Could Be A Risk For Your Teenager

Do you know what your teenager is up to online? You may well be relaxed enough and have enough trust in your child to leave them alone with the computer for hours on end in their bedroom, or even in a more communal space, but do you really know what they're spending their time away from the classroom doing?

If you're like the majority of parents, the answer is quite simply "no". However, the likelihood, we have to assume, is that they're chatting to their friends on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and now perhaps Google+. You may be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief at that news, but are social networking sites really as safe as we like to think for the teenagers of today?

Sadly, according to Kaspersky, a leading developer of IT security software and the creator of some of the best antivirus software around, social networking sites could be putting our children at risk. A report released recently by the company revealed that "cyber criminals and scammers of all kinds are active across the Internet" and these individuals can pose threats to children and teenagers as they browse online and use instant messaging services or email.

With some malicious online users intentionally manipulating the search engine algorithms so that unsavoury content is pushed further up the ranking results, and some online games actually acting as fronts for nasty viruses that can wreak havoc if you don't have any free antivirus software, it's clear that we should all be taking a more active interest in the online lives of our kids.