Parents keeping in contact with their kids online, poll shows

New online tools are helping parents keep tabs on their children while they are at university, it has emerged.

A new poll commissioned by the government has found that social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo are allowing mums and dads to keep in touch with their offspring.

David Lammy, the Higher Education Minister, said new types of technology have made a big impact on the lives of young people in the UK.

'With record numbers of young people going to university, more and more families are using new ways of communicating to stay connected with their children whilst away from home,' he told The Guardian.

In related news, Facebook reportedly hit its highest-ever traffic levels over the festive period.

On Christmas Day, Facebook accounted for one in every 22 hits on the internet, while social networking sites accounted for more than ten per cent of all online visits.