Editorial: Internet dangers are clear

Technology has changed the way people communicate with each other drastically.

Over the past decade, we have seen social networking sites such as Facebook cement their positions as the preferred means of staying in touch with friends, family and acquaintances.

A study released in 2010 showed that 43 per cent of us were using social networking sites - that has likely risen further.

The benefits of these forms of communication are obvious. They are projections of natural social interaction from the real world into cyberspace.

Friends that you may have lost touch with over the years are now just a search away and families can share photos and information.

However, sharing information also carries risks. Privacy on the internet is an illusion.

Personal details or pictures can be obtained easily by third parties creating the possibility of unintended and unacceptable consequences.

Parents need to be aware of the risks in order to keep their children safe.

Last week we reported on a case where a 21-year-old man who bribed underage girls with booze and drugs in order to have sex with them had targeted them on Facebook.

Alexander William Power, who was sentenced to two years 11 months' jail, trawled the site for girls between the ages of 12 and 14. He persuaded the girls to send nude photos of themselves.

The mother of one of the victims and the officer in charge of the case warned other parents to keep a close eye on their child's internet use, social media applications and cellphones.

Information technology is now a part of our life and no doubt it will become more significant.

Young people need to have a good working knowledge of this technology for their futures - but they also need to be aware of the dangers. This should be taught both at home and at school.