Research shows that tweens are more technologically savvy and count the internet as a source of happiness. Nowadays, two-thirds of six- to 12-year-olds have their own mobile phones and iPods, which means that children enjoy gadgets their older siblings could only have dreamed about.

Almost half of the 1200 children who completed the Tween Tracker survey (which was commissioned by Pacific Magazines) showed that almost half of the 1200 respondents had their own Facebook profiles. This is despite the fact that the site's minimum age of 13. Two-thirds of the children also reported surfing the web without supervision.

Laurel Papworth, a social media expert, said that Facebook allows kids to shut parents out while sharing with friends, which is an enticing prospect at an age when they are developing their own identities.

Papworth said that parents often failed to make good arguments on why internet use needed to be monitored. "Managing how they connect is a better option than saying 'don't connect at all'," she said. For parents to effectively monitor their childrens' online activity, Papworth recommended moving the computer out of the bedroom and into the living room.