by Molly Carter

Created on: January 18, 2008

There are very serious consequences to online social networking sites if you are not careful. Though sites like Myspace and Facebook are excellent ways to catch up with old friends and meet new people with like interests, they can also do a disservice to you both personally and professionally.

The most important thing to remember about online social networking sites is that first of all, any information you post online is public domain, and second, once it's on the internet, it's there for good. Some networking sites may bookmark certain pages as private, or you may have to be a member to access forums, pictures or postings, however anyone that is a member can simply right click their mouse and hit "save as" to make sure all of your information of embarrassing pictures are documented for eternity.

Teens and young adults are especially vulnerable. Internet is a way of life. It's been there their whole lives, and most of their socializing revolves around it. Instead of putting pen to paper to write letters to mom and dad from college, they jump online to send an email. No longer do you have to play phone tag avoiding busy signals, you can just IM your boss or friend.

Because young adults view the Internet as a casual form of communication, they may not access long-term implications. Here are some things to think about. Most employers, be they schools, engineering firms or even local coffee shops or restaurants now Google their employees. Any public records, posts to forums where you used your name, or social networking sites like Myspace pop up for all to see. I know a teacher who was fired because on her myspace page she was holding a beer in one of her pictures. I cringe when I see postings of girls in skimpy swimsuits or guys getting drunk and passing out. Is this the professionalism you want future employers to see?

Secondly, social networking sites may do a disservice to you in a long run. If you are a member of a certain site and post opinions, they could come back to bite you. Even if you use a penname or screen name, if someone were to find out, it would be just as detrimental. Look at politicians running for office. What if they were to make a callous comment as a joke? You can be assured it would be used against them. Also, when you post information, if you are wrong, someone may read it as fact.

The third reason online social networking sites are dangerous is that when we befriend people; we take them as they are. I am a member of several online networking sites for writers, but I don't know who my "buddies" really are. It's important to realize that anyone can sit down behind a computer and create a false identity.

The fourth reason online social sites are dangerous, is that they can wreak havoc on personal relationships. Suggestive comments, innuendos, or "harmless" flirting can break of marriages and relationships, breed jealousy in friendships, and lead to miscommunication. Past relationships or mistakes are at anyone's finger tipsjust ask all those people with scandalous sex tapes or naked pictures posted online. On a more innocent level, pictures with past boyfriends or girlfriends might make your newest flame uneasy. Post with care.

Lastly, it's easy to review far too much knowledge. Casually commenting on someone's picture or an article they wrote, we offer a lot of information about families, friends and ourselves. If you decide to become a member of an online social networking site, you should be careful you never use anyone's real name, real address, real place of business, or anything else that could put them in danger. You may feel like you are acting paranoid, but there are a lot of crazy people in the world. A simple comment could put people's lives in jeopardy.

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