Children are happy to have online-only relationships without meeting in real life a poll shows. One in ten say they keep things strictly digital with a friend and one in five say they would be willing to do so.
A third also spend time making pictures look perfect before posting them online, the Internet Matters survey shows.
Almost half said that they always or often post images of themselves having a great time and 34 percent agreed they spent time making their images look perfect before posting.
The survey carried out by Internet Matters to highlight the importance of children building their digital resilience so they can cope independently with the ups and downs of growing up online.
Positively 41 percent of kids said they found it is easier to open up about their feelings online than face to face.
And a quarter of children said they find it easier to find love on the internet – and once they do, seven out of 10 said they go online to chat with their boyfriend or girlfriend.
Carolyn Bunting, CEO of Internet Matters, said: “We found that the majority of children see the role the internet plays when they build relationships as a positive thing. “The key thing is for parents to talk to their children, and our resources enable them to do more confidently.”