Social Networking - Power of good and bad

There is no doubting we live in the age of Social Networking.
The two prominent ones are Facebook and Twitter.
It keeps us in touch, almost substituting for a phone call or an email.
A way of understanding the power is to compare users with the population of the U.S.A. which is currently near 313 million.
Facebook users number over 800 million!
13.5 million are under 13 years of age.
Twitter by comparison has 300 million users.
The problem is they make you highly visible and its best never to forget that this increases the possibility of identity fraud or misuse.
Try to keep in mind these factors as a user to ensure you are alert.
The effect on your privacy.
The time you spend on Social Networks.
The quality of association you create. Deal with who you know and trust.
Consider your reputation. Be careful to behave in a way which brings credit to you. Your language, opinions and reactions form an impression to others.
Whilst Social Networking can be useful it has its inherent dangers so never let your guard down.