How Teens Use Social Networking Sites

A nationwide survey of 12- to 17-year-olds shows that most teens are using social networking sites like MySpace responsibly and in ways that mimic normal social behavior.

More than half of teens surveyed reported having a profile, but two-thirds of these are private, or visible only to the user's friends. Ninety-one percent said they use the sites simply to communicate with friends they see frequently and 72 percent reported using the sites to make plans. Just under half of users reported using the site to make new friends--but researchers say this often just means connecting with "friends of friends."

"One of the things to take away from this report should be a sense of 'the kids are alright,'" says Steve Jones, a communications professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who studies new media. "It's clear that teens are not just willy-nilly using social networking sites and making themselves vulnerable to predators."

Read more: Survey illuminates teen social networks

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