WHO is your son and daughter talking to online?

Social media is yet another bogey man for parents to worry about.

A new NSPCC study, designed to improve safety standards for children who use the internet, has confirmed parental anxiety when it comes to Facebook and Twitter.

The charity is set to launch the Share Aware campaign to get families talking about socialising safely online.

It interviewed a panel of 500 parents from Mumsnet, the online parenting advice forum, who had each reviewed 48 popular websites that children might access.

Essex mum, Kelly Birchmore, 33, was one parent on the panel.

“I wanted to take part in the panel as I am passionate about children's safety, not just in terms of social networking but in general,” she said.

“It's something that interests me and I would like to help change it.”

The study found sites aimed at adults and teenagers were too easy for children, under 13 years old, to sign-up to.

On more than 40 per cent of the sites, the panel struggled to locate privacy, reporting and safety information.

At least three quarters of the parents found sexual, violent, or other inappropriate content on Sickipedia, Omegle, Deviant Art, and F my Life within half an hour of logging into the sites.

Those aimed at younger children, like Club Penguin, Moshi Monsters, Popjam and Bearville, fared better and parents did not find any unsuitable content on them.

Still, the initial concerns have led to calls for age restrictions on popular sites to be lowered.

Kelly is mum to a 12 year old and a three year old daughter.

She adds: “I have spoken to my daughter about social networking and why I don't want her to go on any sites until I feel she is ready and of a certain age, although she has moaned about this she does understand.

“She use to go on Instagram until I put a stop to it as we had a negative experience and I felt any school fall-outs should end in the playground and not follow her home.”

The NSPCC also asked just under 2,000 children and young people which social networking sites they used and their concerns.

They listed talking to strangers or sexual content as main issues and , despite majority admitting to using sites underage, said they would back an increase to the minimum age limit.

The NSPCC has used the reviews to create a new online guide to help inform parents about the risks to children online.

Peter Wanless, CEO of the charity, says: “Children are taught from an early age that it is good to share but doing so online can be very dangerous. “We must all be Share Aware. This Christmas many children will have been given a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a games console, so it’s the perfect opportunity for parents to have that important conversation with their children about who they are talking to.”

The Share Aware campaign gives parents straightforward, no-nonsense advice that will help them to untangle the web and feel confident talking to their children about online safety.

It is aimed at parents of eight to twelve year olds.

For more information visit: www.nspcc.org.uk/shareaware or search #ShareAware.

Anyone concerned about the safety and welfare of a child, can contact the NSPCC’s 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk