by Eddie Tafber

Created on: September 03, 2009

The quick answer is: It depends. In the following paragraphs I will explain why.

Online social networks have changed dramatically the way in which people interact. They have made it simpler for people to keep in touch with friends and family, and why not, also business associates and peers: it takes as little as creating a free Facebook account, filling out as much personal information as desired, and adding some friends to our networks. Then everything is set up to get rolling! The posting and exchange of all kinds of private information in the shape of wall posts (messages that are posted onto a user's profile), comments, pictures, videos and notes, among others, is under way. All this, with the benefit of controlling the privacy settings of what information can be seen by who.

Up to this point, Facebook's operation mode is really easy and even fun. Being this simple and straight forward, what could go wrong with an online utility that allows to share with the world our thoughts, feelings, worries, and even jokes? Let's think about it for a second, and consider that online social networks are a double-edged swords: If given the appropriate use, they can be helpful to develop a successful profile and career path. But when utilized carelessly, they might provide us a few bumps on our way to professional achievements.

One of the most notable negative effects of the use of Facebook is the slight addiction that it has created among its millions of users, more specifically among the young populations (let's say, about 16 to 25 years old). This has resulted in young employees using Facebook at inappropriate times; for example, office hours. Whereas a considerable amount of businesses have opted to block Facebook from their online infrastructure, there are still numerous companies that allow employees to freely navigate this online social utility, and of course there are employees who take advantage of this benefit. The problem goes way beyond distraction and lack of a professional environment inside the company. At an employee level, focusing on Facebook activities as opposed to focusing on work causes the worker to learn at a much slower pace, thus also slowing down their professional and career development.

Nonetheless, the potential negative effects of utilizing Facebook carelessly go way beyond distractions during working hours. Let's think of a scenario. For example, a job seeker who does not handle the appropriate levels of privacy on Facebook. Whatever

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