MOST parents who are worried that their children spend a lot of time on social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace can relax.

A new study has found that it is well-adjusted young people who are more likely to use social networking.

American researchers assessed the popularity and social adjustment of 92 13 and 14-year-olds, based on a series of reports from the individuals, their friends and parents.

Eight years later the team, led by Assistant Professor Amori Mikami of the University of Virginia, reviewed the same group of young people, then aged 20 to 22 years old, most of whom had social networking sites.

They counted the number of cyber friends they had and determined the quality of those friendships.