While many people over the age of 25 would never think of posting personal photos, addresses, birthdays and phone numbers on public websites, today's youth are flocking to websites -- such as Myspace.com, Facebook.com and SecondLife.com -- to post intimate details about their lives.

The Internet is becoming the place where youth, between four and 18 years of age, complain about societal pressures, the ups and downs of working and family strife.

But, according to the experts, the younger generation needs to re-examine their beliefs.

A recent study released by Microsoft Canada and Ipsos Reid said more than 96 per cent of Canadian parents have spoken to their children about the problems associated with sharing private information online, yet 70 per cent of the children (between 10 and 14 years of age) surveyed still thought everything they post on the Internet is private and confidential. The study spoke with more than 1,000 children and 600 parents.

Aside from well known issues associated with pedophilia and child exploitation, there are other dangers.

Melodi Gates, chief security officer of Qwest Communications told the Baltimore Sun last year the laissez-faire attitude that youth have towards personal information is making them one of the most at-risk of identity theft.

Then there are issues pertaining to defamation and liable. A rash of online bloggers have been sued for defamation by large corporations for posting their personal comments.

According to David Harris, a Toronto lawyer specializing in wrongful-dismissal lawsuits, Canadian laws regarding defamation are clear. Just because a person posts something on a website doesn't mean that it can't come back to haunt them.

Eyglo Thorlaksdottir, president of the Canadian Association of Psychoanalytic Child Therapists, said erratic online behaviour is often a way for a child to make up for a poor social life.

© The Vancouver Province 2007