Social media is turning a generation of children into liars, a leading headmistress has warned.

Youngsters are used to projecting a perfect image of themselves online and this is beginning to spill over into real life too, according to Sue Hincks, the incoming president of the Girls School Association (GSA).

Teenagers must learn the importance of acting with integrity, rather than telling “convenient lies” in order to get ahead and further their careers.

Miss Hincks, who is headmistress of the £12,000-a-year Bolton School Girls’ Division, said that teenagers tend to “curate” a certain image of themselves on their social media accounts, such as the photograph sharing platforms, Instagram and Snapchat.

They become used to covering up any perceived imperfections, and there is a danger is when this attitude trespasses into other aspects of their life too.

“If you get used to showing one image of yourself on social media, you may begin to believe that is completely aligned to reality,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“I’m not saying people shouldn’t improve, obviously it you want to present your best self which is fine. But you might gloss over things that are core to your identity that it’s useful for people to know - you don’t want people to be ashamed of any aspect of their life. We have to tell the truth and encourage young people to present their weaknesses.”