Californian teenager spikes parents' milkshakes to spend time online

The Social networking site Facebook is reflected in the eye of a man on March 25, 2009 in London, England. (Getty Images)

A Californian teenager put sleeping pills in her parents' milkshakes so that she could spend more time on the internet, reports the Sacramento Bee. Investigators drew a blank on what the 15-year-old girl so desperately needed to do online - but if all else fails in the courtroom, a new study by Oxford University might provide her lawyers with food for thought.

The University's department of education has shown that teenagers without web access are at a serious disadvantage educationally and socially.

The Office of National Statistics reported that the five per cent of UK students living in households without internet access had difficulty completing homework assignments and felt left out socially.

The study also found that problems associated with excessive Internet use, including diminished attention spans, were ultimately outweighed by the benefits of online life.

Of course, it said nothing about drugging one's guardians in order to get round a curfew, but hey, we're not the lawyers.