Social networking patterns/hazards among Irish teenagers.

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have grown substantially, posing new hazards to teenagers. This study aimed to determine general patterns of Internet usage among Irish teenagers aged 11-16 years, and to identify potential hazards, including; bullying, inappropriate contact, overuse, addiction and invasion of users’ privacy. A cross-sectional study design was employed to survey students at three Irish secondary schools, with a sample of 474 completing a questionnaire. 202(44%) (n=460) accessed the Internet using a shared home computer. Two hours or less were spent online daily by 285(62%), of whom 450(98%) were unsupervised. 306(72%) (n=425) reported frequent usage of SNSs, 403(95%) of whom were Facebook users. 42(10%) males and 51(12%) females experienced bullying online, while 114(27%) reported inappropriate contact from others. Concerning overuse and the risk of addiction, 140(33%) felt they accessed SNSs too often. These patterns among Irish teenagers suggest that SNS usage poses significant dangers, which are going largely unaddressed