One in five children – some as young as 11 – are creating social media accounts that they keep secret from adults.
A survey of 20,000 secondary school pupils revealed a rapid growth in ‘fake Insta’ accounts – a reference to photo-sharing site Instagram. The news has heightened fears that sexual content is being posted.
Twenty per cent of pupils said they operate a sanitised ‘main’ account to show parents, while also having private ones. One mother who stumbled across her 13-year-old’s daughter’s secret site found a teenager urging others to ‘rape me’.
The research, by Digital Awareness UK and the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) of independent schools, found 40 per cent of 11 to 18-year-olds had two profiles, with half of those admitting to keeping private accounts.
HMC chief Mike Buchanan said: ‘It’s disturbing so many teenagers are tempted into creating online spaces where parents and teachers cannot find them.’
This article has been adapted from its original source.
