Incredibly disturbing report sheds light on children's online activity

Monitoring our children's internet use can seem like a round-the-clock job, but there's no doubt it's an incredibly important issue to keep abreast of.

According to a very worrying survey which was conducted by Knowthenet as part of their 'The Social Age' study, a frightening number of young people are engaging in dangerous online activity.

Research has shown that a whopping 43% of 12-year-olds have admitted to messaging strangers online while just a year later many children begin engaging in sexual activity via social media and messaging services.

A representative for Knowthenet has commented on the shocking findings, saying: "Kids are opening themselves and others up to potential risks, with 21%  posting negative comments starting from the average age of 11 and a quarter hijacking another’s account and posting without permission."

Elaborating on this point, he continued: "The greatest proportion of internet activity takes place when children reach 11 years; this is when they are likely to first post an image or video of themselves, post a nasty comment online and set up a fake social media profile."

Speaking about children's inappropriate use of their smart phones, the spokesperson said: "A year later, kids will first try Twitter and Whatsapp and message someone online they haven’t met in real life. When children reach 13 - their social maturity - they first try services like SnapChat and Ask FM and will try sexting for the first time."

Most worryingly perhaps, a shocking percentage of children insist they are capable of concealing their activities, with 67% claiming they often hide it from their parents.