Facebook is out of control.
This isn't a piece to ramble on and on about how it's taking over people's lives; it's to identify the dangers of the social networking site.
Yesterday Facebook announced a record membership of 100 million members.
That's 99,999,999 other people who can find you on the Internet.
That's almost 100 million people who can know your business: who you're dating, who your friends are and what you're interested in.
Facebook and MySpace would be better off being called StalkerBook or StalkerSpace.
At least people will know what they are getting into.
Day after day you hear horror stories about cyber bullying and online predators. These social networking sites are no different than finding a naive somebody in a chat room.
According to ABC News, 42 percent of children have experienced online bullying.
The site has also decreased and nearly eliminated personal interaction among peers and generations.
Instead of calling someone over the phone or visiting them in person, Facebook has become the quick-and-easy way to find out what's going on in friends' lives and what's going on over the weekend.
Facebook allows its users to post pictures and their interests.
It has been reported that some individuals looking for a job don't get hired because of incriminating details on their Facebook or MySpace accounts.
According to an MSNBC article, Van Allen runs a company that recruits candidates to fill positions in health clinics and hospitals all over the country. He was happy to find a qualified candidate, but the woman didn't receive the job when he found pictures of her taking her shirt off at parties on Facebook.
While this is a smart move by employers to make sure they hire quality individuals, it's not a smart move by Facebook users to exploit themselves ' and sometimes others ' on these sites.
With society becoming more and more technology-dependent and savvy, it's important for users of all ages to be cognizant of the repercussions of joining such a site.
If joining the Facebook and/or MySpace community is a must, it's important to remember to responsibly use the
accounts.
Many are using the site today merely for networking. Others just want to keep in touch with old friends.
It isn't a forum to see John Doe's crazy weekend, nor is it the place for account users to make their personal vendettas known by venting it on their statuses.
It is a site that shouldn't be abused and overused.
It is important for individuals to know to be safe and only friend people they know.
People need to remember the best type of communication is face to face ' not Facebook.
They need to know not to embarrass themselves. Sometimes there can be consequences to posting that picture from that crazy, drunken weekend two years ago.
The editorial board of The Daily Anthenaeum at West Virginia University.
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