Abstract

This work aims to investigate the online behavior of adolescents related to the use of Facebook and its online privacy management. In detail, it explores the ways in which teenagers present themselves in the Social Network, their exposure to situations both unpleasant and risky, their knowledge and the use of privacy settings, and their perception of parental control. The sample consists of 859 participants, of whom 466 were (54.2%) male and 393 (45.8%) female, between 13 and 20 years of age [mean age 16.16 (SD = 1.560)]. Data collected confirm that Facebook is a tool widely used to create a network of social relationships, that it may expose adolescents to many unpleasant situations and there is yet little understanding of the security settings of personal information. Parental control is perceived as absent in 49,2% of cases.