Nearly Half of Teen Internet Users Have Lied About Their Age

Social networking is more popular than ever — that’s why many teens want to get in on the action and will even lie about their age to do so. According to a recent study, 44% of teens have lied about how old they are online to access sites with age restrictions.

More than three-quarters of today’s teens (76%) ages 12 to 17 use social networks. This ZoneAlarm infographic takes a look at just what teens are doing online and finds, among other things, that they are not being nice.

Some 20% of teens say that people are mostly unkind on social media, compared to just 5% of adults who would say the same. In contrast, 69% of teens and 85% of adults believe people are mostly kind.

Between boys and girls in that group, 26% of girls and 14% of boys say that people online are mostly unkind. Overall, 88% of social media users say they have witnessed unkind behavior at least once.

In addition to lying about their ages to access restricted sites, nearly one-third (30%) of teens have shared a password with a friend or significant other, showing just how prevalent unsafe behaviors are.If you’re a parent hoping to influence your teen’s social networking, you’re in luck because almost 60% of teens say their parents have an effect on their online behavior. The infographic recommends taking the time to understand social networking, communicating online safety and setting parameters, and staying on top of your teens networking activities.

As posted on Mashable.com.