Social networking websites have become part and parcel of our daily lives. And with a multitude of different services available to us, the choice is endless.
Combined with an increase in cheap broadband packages now available to us, more of us are now using the internet to keep in keeping in contact with friends and family, finding employment and just generally sharing silly pictures.
For others it can become an obsession - with some worrying about who could possibly be leaving comments on their message boards, becoming conscious about e-mails and updating their status every five minutes or so.
And as broadband connections are becoming more widely available to us, more of us are making use of these sites. But studies have shown that, whilst our attitudes towards social networking may have changed, our awareness of the risks of putting our personal details online still remains one of the grey areas of such services.
A recent study carried out by OFCOM has helped to shed some light on the trends of social networking. The results showed that it was mostly young people who made use of the services available on social networking sites, with an estimated 49% of children aged 8-17 having a profile online.
And with broadband services becoming more widespread, there are calls for greater awareness and promotion of online safety for surfers of all ages.
Coupled with the recent Byron Report, which focused on the influence of internet content and computer games on young people, parents are now being advised to keep an eye on information their children may be posting online.
And with more of us now putting personal details on our profiles, it could be seen as an easy target for cyber criminals and marketing associations.
There is now pressure on the world of social networking to ensure that children are protected, calling for a use of age verification, better profile security for young people and access to 'panic buttons' which can be used to report suspicious activity while surfing the internet.
As levels of cyber crime and identify theft are on the increase, there is a growing call to take steps to protect our personal details online, be it through social networking or spam e-mails.
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