• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, April 18, 2007

The generation of teens that's grown up with instant messaging, online chat and social networking sites might not be quite as cavalier about privacy as it seems. Consider, while the majority of teens (55%) now have online profiles, two-thirds of that group say they restrict who can view their profiles, according to a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

"Most teenagers are taking steps to protect themselves online from the most obvious areas of risk," states the report, which is based on a survey of 935 youngsters ages 12 to 17.

At the same time, many online teens reveal a host of information about themselves -- at least to those whom they let view their profiles. More than eight in 10 teens with profiles include their first name, while 79% have photos of themselves, 66% have photos of friends and 61% reveal their towns.

The study also indicates that teens who use the Web for social networking are slightly more likely than other teens to disclose information about themselves in general. "Teens with online profiles have a greater tendency to say it is fine to share where they go to school, their IM screen name, email address, last name and cell phone number with someone they met at a party, when compared with the percentage who actually post that information online," states the report. In other words, participating in Web 2.0 activities seems to correlate with a more relaxed view of privacy overall, at least for adolescents.

If teens are quick to embrace the Web, parents appear more wary of the Internet than other media. "The Internet is a more regulated piece of technology than the television or video game console," states the report. Specifically, 69% of parents of online teens say they limit how much time their children can be online, while just 57% and 58% of parents of online teens impose similar restrictions for TV and video games.