Girls’ skewed Web images raise red flags

Teenage girls would rather have a rep for being fun than smart when online, according to a recently released study by the Girl Scouts of the USA. The national survey, which should trouble parents who have teenage daughters, shows the girls’ online image is often at odds with their true personality. And that’s the way they want it.

The survey questioned female teens ages 14 through 17, and almost 74 percent said girls their age have social networking profiles designed to make them appear “cooler” than they are. In person, the girls described themselves as smart, kind and wanting to be a positive influence. But online, the girls prefer people believe they are fun, funny and social. The difference in reality vs. perception increased as the girl’s self-esteem decreased – girls who reported having higher self-esteem were more likely to want their online profile to match who they are offline.

Girls with lower self-esteem were also more likely to try to portray themselves online as “sexy” or “crazy.”

The Girl Scouts’ survey also shows that, while most girls understand the risks social networking sites pose, 50 percent admitted they are not as careful as they should be while online. And 68 percent reported having a negative experience, such as being the focus of gossip or being bullied, while online.

The encouraging news from the survey is that 92 percent of the girls said they would give up all their online friends if it meant keeping their best friend.

And the majority of girls responding said that they use social networking to stay connected to their real friends and to get involved with causes they care about.