The "Horrors" of social networking sites

I am practically addicted to facebook. It has helped me keep in touch with friends after I moved and meet my future classmates before I went to college and learn about events happening in my area. I have been able to talk to people from all over the country with whom I share interests. With all the benefits of social networking sites, it is gaining popularity every day. Still, it scares many parents, and with good reasons, despite frequent paranoia surrounding it.

When I was growing up, the internet was still relatively new, so I was taught to treat it with caution by my parents and teachers. Talking with someone online is not too different from talking to a stranger you meet at the mall. There are limited things you know about a person by looking at them, and they might be more convincing in person, and harder to get away from. Kids slightly younger than me, are inclined not to have the same caution however. They were raised with internet and computers. They are likely to be more relaxed about it, and therefore their parents have the right to be worried, especially since they themselves do not understand it completely.

The internet has changed the world in the relatively short time it has been around. With it, comes more concerns. I have a friend who refuses to make a facebook page until it becomes absolutely neccessary. She aspires to be a police officer, and believes that merely having the page lessens her chances. I can't imagine how, unless she posted pictures of herself breaking the law, apr doing a number of other things. People need to understand that there are consequences to what they post and who they talk to. Most college students and teenagers I know do just that. Yes, parents have the right to worry about their child and know if they have a myspace page or some sort of blog, and they should also have a say in privacy measures that are taken, but they need to trust their child, like they do out in the real world. Just like the real world, there are crazies and child molesters, who will lie. But hopefully parents can teach their children to use common sense and stay away from dangerous situations. also, children and teenagers, need to trusst that their parents are looking out for their best interests, and be able to talk when they believe their is a problem.

On a slightly different note, it is unfair for empoyers to judge a person based on their myspace or facebook. Even teenagers lie on those things, or post sstuff they will surely regret later. sometimes it is a joke between friends. It is compareable to judging a person you see in a bar based solely on that night. Everyone makes mistakes. sometimes it is their friends who post unappealing pictures of the person. Likewise, whoever posts this stuff, needs to be aware that just about anyone can see their page, dispite security measures, so think about student who have been suspended due to being tagged in pictures of the field being stormed or an out-of-control party.

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