NORTH-EAST teenagers lack confidence on the Internet, new research has shown.

The study, by Northumbria University, has found that teenagers across the region lack the skills needed to gather information from the web.

Lecturer Dr Alison Pickard based her research on 13 to 16-year-olds from four schools.

"I watched teenagers blame themselves over and over because they were unable to find the information they were looking for," said Dr Pickard.

"They thought they were stupid and I watched their confidence being eroded."

Dr Pickard is now calling on schools in the region to look at ways of improving pupil's Internet skills.