Research involving almost 1,700 young people, published in the latest Net Aware guide, shows that four-fifths of them believe social media sites must do more to protect them from harmful content.
Net Aware is produced by the NSPCC (with support from O2) and is the UK’s only parent guide to 39 of the most popular social media sites, apps and games used by young people.
This year, Pokemon Go, Periscope, IMVU, and Live.ly are among the new apps to be featured on Net Aware, along with more well-known sites including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
The most risky social media sites, according to the young people in the research, were considered to be ASKfm, Omegie, IMVU and Facebook.
Despite the risks that many children reported in the study, it found that 87 per cent of the respondents believed they knew how to keep themselves safe online.
NSPCC CEO Peter Wanless said: “Social media is a great way for young people to stay in touch with their friends but our research clearly shows that children do not feel that they are shielded from upsetting, dangerous, and adult content. It’s vital parents know about their child’s online world and regularly talk with their children about how to get help if they need it.
“We all know that the internet develops at breakneck speed and it can feel nearly impossible to keep up with all of the constantly changing sites, games, and apps that young people use. Net Aware does all the work for parents by updating them with information, risks, and issues on sites their children are using.”
The Net Aware guide is free to access at www.net-aware.org.uk or to download as an app from the Apple Store or Google Play.