Less Face-to-Face Communication

• Young Soo Shim of the University of Southern Illinois compiled a study that highlights the impact of the Internet on teenage communication. The study, based on responses from students at an Illinois high school, found that some teens might attempt to use the Internet as a way to escape from the real world or avoid personal contact. As a result, the more time they spent using the Internet, the less likely was their desire to see and talk to with family members and friends.
  
  

Cyberbullying

• Teens sometimes use the Internet to bully other teens. Sometimes it starts with insulting someone or sharing personal information about another teen on social networking sites in an attempt to embarrass them. It can escalate to stalking and physical violence. A 2010 ABC news report, "Mean Girls: Cyberbullying Blamed for Teen Suicides," called attention to cyberbullying, which means using social media sites and email to harass and ridicule others. The report says that this type of harassment has been responsible for teen suicides.
  
  

Time and Risks

• When teens spend many hours per day using the Internet, they reduce the time they have to spend with family and on school work and physical activities. In addition, according to an article written by Kate Fogarty, assistant professor with the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences at the University of Florida, a teen who goes online for two or more hours, three or more times a week, faces a higher risk of falling prey to online sexual exploitation.
  
  

Online Predators

• Teens are often exposed to pornography and may find themselves prey for sexual predators after uploading sexy photos of themselves or discussing sex online with someone that they do not know. Professor Fogarty from the University of Florida reported that adult predators often use Internet chat rooms to initiate improper relationships with teens with the hopes of seducing the teen into sexual acts. Though girls age 13 to 17 are most at risk for this exploitation, boys can also fall victim to online sexual predators.