Study: 41 Percent of Teens Ask Parents About Online Privacy

facebook-privacyMuch has been written recently about how teenagers are no longer using Facebook, but at least the ones who still use it are doing so responsibly. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 71 percent of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 have sought outside help in improving their online privacy, while 41 percent have even asked their parents.

“At first, the finding that 41 percent of online teens have asked for advice about online privacy from a parent seems surprising — particularly given that many teens are motivated to protect their privacy specifically from their parents,” Amanda Lenhart, a researcher with Pew, said to Mashable. “But for a subset of teens, often younger ones, their parents were heavily involved in helping them set up their social media accounts (often as a precondition to use) and so it’s not so surprising that those teens would be seeking advice from their parents.”

In recent months, Facebook has made efforts to strengthen its security practices, specifically with teenagers. The site introduced anti-bullying features last month, and has also teamed with local governments around the U.S. to promote proper online privacy education. It’s impossible to know if Facebook’s educational measures are working or if younger generations of social media users are simply becoming more well informed about online privacy, but either way, the end result is a good thing.