With a click of her mouse, Claudia Green logged on to the internet to catch up on the latest news and gossip with her friends. The 16-year-old was doing what millions of young people do every day: socialising in cyberspace, the 21st-century form of human bonding fast replacing hanging out on street corners or in the local park or youth club.

As she sat in her bedroom, Claudia chose to visit MSN Messenger, an online messaging site which, along with other so-called social networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo, has transformed how children and teenagers spend time together. They have also turned the fun of making new friends into a money-spinning global business.

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