(January 5, 2009 - Insidermedicine) Adolescents commonly reference risky behaviors on their publicly available online social networking sites, according to research published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Here is some information about online social networking sites:

•    They are extremely popular among adolescents and include such websites as Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster.

•    Profiles can be created that may provide a great deal of personal information, including location and interests.

•    Privacy settings are available to make some or all of the information on the profile available to only a select few.

Researchers from the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute analyzed the contents of 500 publicly available online social profiles in which the individuals identified themselves as 18 years of age and living in the United States.

Overall, 54% of the sites referenced risky behaviors, including sexual activity and violence as well as drug and alcohol use. Among 190 individuals with MySpace pages that referenced risky behavior, receiving a single email from a physician pointing out the risks of their profiles and links to clinical resources resulted in a significant decrease in the amount of risky behavior referenced three months later.

Today's research points to the danger adolescents may expose themselves to on social networking sites on the Internet. However, such sites also provide a novel venue for identifying young people at risk.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.