28% prefer Facebook to family

SOCIAL networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are more important than family to a quarter of children, a survey in Britain found.

The poll, commissioned by National Family Week, reveals the influence of technology on youngsters – and the extent to which parents underestimate it.

Some 28% of the eight to 15-year-olds questioned cited websites such as Facebook, Twitter and MSN as the most important thing to them.

Social networking had a bigger effect on girls than boys.

Asked to name what is most important to them, the top three choices for girls were popularity and having friends, followed by family, and then social networking sites.