How Social Networking Sites are Abused
Because roughly 150 million people use Facebook and MySpace, the door for social networking abuse is left wide open. Over the past few years, social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace have exploded in popularity, especially among children and teenagers. However, recent events involving child predators and other dangerous individuals using these sites have raised concerns about safety. Particularly in the United States, many parents view social networking websites with suspicion while having limited understanding of what these sites really are or how they work. Used responsibly, social networking sites do not pose a danger or threat to anyone. Facebook, MySpace, and other sites have numerous benefits for their users in terms of interacting and talking with other people, but also provide comprehensive privacy and safety features. Facebook, for example, does not allow people to view others’ profiles unless they are friends, which require both people to confirm their relationship. It is even possible to limit what parts of a personal profile are visible to friends, which friends it is visible to, or (for the especially paranoid) to make the profile completely invisible to everyone.
How would you feel if I told you that I know almost everything about you? – from your birthday to the food you like, from your best friends to your favorite singer, and so on—even though you have never met me. These are things that most parents forewarn their children about social networking sites. Social networking sites such as My Space, Face book, and Hi5 are the most popular online community in which millions of teenagers and young adults exchange their interests, their personal information, photos and videos, and instant messaging. However; it seems that social networking sites could bring about many disadvantages; wasting time, identity theft, and reducing face-to-face interaction, I believe their benefits; encouraging creative...