Facebook, Friendster, MySpace and Tagged are a few of many social networking websites which are available on the internet.
This service, often free, is a platform that provides users from all over the world with similar interests to be part of a one big online community.
Most of the web based social network services allow users to interact with each other.
These websites has been a hit especially among teenagers ever since it was introduced.
The generic approach for most sites enables users to add friends, send messages, upload pictures, and update their personal profiles and having the option to notify their friends of the changes.
Basically, these sites are a great way to keep in touch and to meet new friends.
It is a great way to stay connected with other people.
At one point, some users strive to obtain the most friends.
With the expansion of social networking websites and the increasing in popularity, the service provider are in stiff competition with each other to win the hearts of the general audience.
This has led to games and quizzes application, music enabled profile, instant messaging feature, uploading or streaming videos and many others.
Often the usage of these sites is an outlet for social activities.
There are social networking websites like LinkedIn, DirectMATCHES and XING that is catered more for professionals seeking new business and employment opportunities.
Unlike the rest, the presentation of these websites is generally easy to use with plain and simple layout that helps easy navigation.
As a job seeker, you can find jobs that match your profile and be found by potential employers.
On the other hand companies or employers use this tool for easier recruitment which cost lesser than to advertise.
Having accessibility for social networking websites does improve our lives.
However, there are growing concerns regarding too much information that users are publicly displaying on their page.
Moreover, there is also an issue of privacy of the data stored on these websites.
When a user deletes his/her account, where does the information go? There are views that the data are still retained by the service provider on their servers even after the account has been deleted.
There are also threats for potential misuse for example, in the case of Megan Meier where another user impersonates a false identity and allegedly drove the 13-year-old girl to her death by committing suicide.
Apart from that, the constant fear of having your personal information being shared with third parties by being part of a social networking website.
In order to avoid any untoward incidences, users are cautioned to read the fine print upon registration to understand what they are getting themselves into and keep abreast with any updates from the service provider.
For example, in Facebook you can add application however by doing so you have just agreed to share your information with another third party which is not endorsed by Facebook.
Everyone should know that any information where it is publicly viewable by anyone has it consequences whether it's good or bad.
The internet is a big and open space where millions of data and information are being communicated every single second all over the world.
Without a doubt, social networking websites benefits the community and is gaining popularity more and more each day.