That, on balance, social networking Web sites have a positive impact on the United States

Imagine a place where you realize your importance within the world, providing a sense of identity to live out your wildest dreams. That is the image that social networking sites want you to believe if you sign up. "It's a world where everything moves fast and changes all the time, where relationships are quickly disposed at the click of a mouse, where you can delete your profile if you don't like it and swap an unacceptable identity in the blink of an eye for one that is more acceptable." said Dr. Hinanshu Tyagi, a psychiatrist at West London Mental Health Trust. With lightening fast speeds, you can go just about anywhere on line. However, we seem to have forgotten the issue of safety, the way of communication, and just how fake our "friends" really are. When Tom first created Myspace, was it just a place for friends? Or did he not anticipate the largest social networking site? Point one: Social networking sites are public, whether users realize it or not. The privacy setting are so permeable, and external access to the network is so easy, that the network is effectively an open site. A survey concluded more than 90% of Facebook participants had provided their full name, personal photo, date of birth, gender, and hometown. Just enough for anyone to steal your identity, or a on line predator to find you. Last year Myspace reported discovering the profiles of 29,000 sex offenders. There are about 600,000 convicted sex offenders living in the United States which means at least 5% were on Myspace. A survey of 935 students concluded that when contacted by a stranger, 65% deleted or ignored the contact, 21% of teen responded to get more information, 8% responded to tell the person to leave them alone, but only 3% of students took action such as blocking the individual from further contact. Point two: Social networking sties are used by teen an average of one hour and 22 minutes every day. According to psychiatrists, the generation of young adults growing up with social networking Web sites "are unable to form lasting relationships and are at increased risk of behaving impulsively." Facebook and Myspace encourage the concept that relationships can be formed quickly and with minimal effort, and the same relationships can be ended by simply "deleting" a friend. While, Real-world relationships are more difficult to form as young adults struggle to understand body language, tone of voice, and facial expression. In addition, 56% of all teenagers have posted false information to their on line profiles. Obviously choosing their virtual friends over real friends, creating only relationships rooted in lies. Point three: About 62% of teens on social networking sites have experience on line bullying. One example is the young thirteen year old Megan Meier. Like many teens Megan created a myspace, and soon met an attractive 16 year old boy named Josh Evans. They became friends and exchanged messages almost daily. Josh made Megan feel happy, belonged and beautiful. However, after weeks of messaging, Josh sent one message saying, "Everybody knows how you are. You are a bad person and everybody hates you. The world would be a better place without you." Once reading that, Megan responded saying, "You're the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over." Twenty minutes later, Megan was found dead hanging by the neck in her closet. Six weeks after the tragedy, Megan's parents found out that the "Josh Evans" was really a former friend's mother Lori Drew. In the world where owning a myspace is more common than owning a dog, youth are enslaving their social lives to a computer screen and a keyboard. What they post today can end up somewhere tomorrow, to be used in way that was not intended. The protection of ones emotions and well being cannot be promised when a blog, bulletin, or message is sent. On balance, no one seems to be connected to the real world anymore. But why be shocked, when all you can type is, omg?