A survey of teens show that they are telling porkies to their parents about what what they do online.

The survey, which conducted by McAfee, belongs to the “no shit Sherlock” school of surveys where the obvious is exposed to the light of day. However the obvious does not necessarily apply to modern parents who think that their precious little snowflake will never get into trouble if they are protected with three layers of bubble wrap.

The survey confirms that teens will not break down and confess to watching hard-core donkey porn because their mummies ask them. In fact they are more likely to click the machine closed and claim that they are watching sports, or doing their homework.

In a statement, McAfee said nearly half of the American parents it surveyed thought their adolescents told them everything they did online. Although more than half of them also thought George W Bush was an ideal president and evolution should not be taught in schools.

These parents felt that they were in control when monitoring their youngsters' online conduct and their child would obey them because that was what the bible said they had to do. However when McAfee asked the teens, more than 70 per cent admitted that they got around parental monitoring and did what the liked online.

In 2010 only 45 per cent of teens said they had hidden their online behaviour from a parent. Teens are now dab hands at clearing the history closing or minimising a browser when a parent was present, McAfee said. Some had to go to tougher efforts including hiding or deleting instant messages or videos, lying or omitting details about online activities, using a computer that parents don't check, and using a smartphone.

McAfee online safety expert Stanley Holditch said that teens belonged to a generation that is so comfortable with technology that they are surpassing their parents in understanding. He claimed however that rather than turning into balanced individuals that had integrated and balanced their parents' over-controlling behaviour, they were actually putting their safety at risk.

The survey indicated 43 per cent of teenagers had accessed simulated violence online instead of watching it on TV. More than 36 per cent accessed sexual topics and 32 per cent saw nude content or pornography. [Which means the other 65 percent are liars. Ed]

McAfee did not state why this was so dangerous. When we were growing up we were driving around in cars at high speed and trying to get laid. Some of the staff here were dodging sniper bullets when they were teens. It seems that this new internet lifestyle is a lot safer than earlier generations – kids of today are soft.