There is always the hubbub about what should and shouldn't be displayed publicly on the internet. Facebook, myspace, twitter, and so many more "social networking" sites seem to find their way into the media by being a platform for potential problems. When facebook first started out, it was mostly for college students who wanted to keep in touch with old friends from home. The site quickly surpassed the idea of being a way to communicate and became a source of young people putting their lives out on the internet. What problems does this pose? When most people don't know you can set your profile to a private setting, or just choose not to, anyone and everyone can see what you're doing, saying, and how you're acting. Status changes have become more frequent as people feel the need to let the world know every aspect of their lives as it is happening. 

Parents...do you approve of facebook? Do you know what is on your child/ren's profile? Do you yourself have a profile? Most problems you see with parents objecting the use of facebook involves young "women," that are most definitely just girls. Give a teen a digital camera, a computer, and a facebook profile. Mix that with her short skirts, low-cut shirts, and love to hang out with her friends. Now, in some cases, you have skanky pictures of your daughter on the internet for everyone to see. Now do you approve of it? Or do you think, "My daughter doesn't dress like that." Granted, not all people do act and dress provocatively, but many parents have come to discover, through facebook, the way their children act when they're not around.

Within days of the surfacing of pictures with Michael Phelps and a hookah, the nation was in an uproar. Are they real? What was he smoking? Do we take away his medals? Athletes, as well as everyone in the public eye, have to be even more cautious with what they're doing. Everyone wants to have a little fun here and there, but where do you draw the line. How do you decide what to post and what to keep to yourself? Parents, teachers, coaches, and even police, have quickly caught on to spying through facebook. Make a profile, add some friends, and you've got a way to see what your athletes are doing when they aren't being watched. If you were a coach and saw pictures of one of your athletes drinking (and they are underage) at a party, what would you do? Do they sit the bench or worse, be turned in to higher authorities? If it's a star player and an essential part of your team, do you let it slide and pretend like you didn't see it so your team doesn't suffer the consequences? Some may say, "Well, as long as they're smart about it and don't post pictures everything is fine, right?" Wrong. The technology of "tagging" can ruin someone else's reputation without their consent. Your facebook friends can post pictures and tag you in them, which makes them appear on your own profile as well. When Bristol Palin showed up on national television sporting a pregnant belly everyone was in awe. Not only was she all over tv, but also all over the internet. These social networking sites are a set up for allowing everyone to know about your entire life. Seeing as how everyone has flaws and everyone has their life story on the internet, it's bound to create at lease a little drama in everyone's lives.