Benefits and risks of social networking sites use in adolescents

Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people. Although the features of social networking sites differ, they all allow users to provide information about them and offer some type of communication mechanism (forums, chat rooms, email, and instant messenger) that enables them to connect with other users. About 70 percent of teens who are sexually solicited online are girls. Teens should be cautious in posting suggestive photos online and talking to strangers in chat rooms. Younger boys are more likely to participate than younger girls (46% vs. 44%) but older girls are far more likely to participate than older boys (70% vs. 57%). Older boys are twice as likely to use the sites to flirt and slightly more likely to use the sites to meet new people than girls of their age. Older girls are far more likely to use these sites to communicate with friends they see in person than younger people or boys of their age.