Just another waste of time?

MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, Twitter and whichever other site has become all the rage in recent years. Are these sites actually worth the time or just another form of purely trivial nonsense?

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Social networking sites are a great way to promote your work and keep in touch with distant friends. They also serve as a platform for self-expression particularly for artists, musicians and writers.

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, these sites will allow you to remain “linked in” both personally and professionally. For those balanced, mature, career-minded individuals, these sites can be a wonderful opportunity to expand.

However, the majority of people rarely join these sites as a way to promote their intellectual, groundbreaking work.

It is more probable that you will find them wasting precious moments uploading at least 50 random yet carefully contrived "sexy" photos of themselves and building virtual social circles, complete with all the drama and chaos you would find in a regular high school. As in real life, it becomes a popularity contest. It's all about who has the most friends and public comments posted.

Kids and adults alike seem to get sucked into this world.

According to Nicole Velasquez, M.S.Ed.:

"As a teacher who has worked with teenagers, I've seen how MySpace affects their lives. I've even come across instances of online bullying. It's appalling. It is imperative for these kids to spend more time developing their intelligence and abilities rather than worrying about the image they portray online. Yet, what I also find quite disturbing is how adults get just as wrapped up in it. There is no reason why a 26 year-old should spend his or her time browsing through someone's pictures and tracking what that 'friend' was up to over the weekend. Go read a classic, think of a cure for cancer, start a business. Something. We have way too much to accomplish in life."

One significant factor about social networking is its impact on how people communicate nowadays in situations that should be handled in person.

Instead of speaking face to face or over the phone, comment wars ensue. Friends become enemies and jealous couples quarrel over content they find objectionable. Some even come to find out they've been dumped only after checking the relationship status on the page of their significant other. And Carrie thought it was bad to be dumped on a post-it.

A troublesome fact is that most young people do not practice enough caution on these sites.

When someone allows all those who browse her page to know that she will be meeting whomever at said place for drinks next Friday at 6pm, she is setting herself up for potential consequences. The same applies to men.

"It can be somewhat dangerous to allow everyone with access to your page to know such information, especially for those who are clueless about the intentions of all the buddies they have listed," says Fatima Cruz*, 24, who once had a scary encounter with a guy she befriended but barely knew on Facebook. "I noticed that whenever I would leave a status message stating my whereabouts, he would randomly pop up there. I finally figured out that he was stalking me through Facebook. Fortunately, nothing serious happened but it was definitely a wake up call for me."

In a time when the virtue of privacy seems to be dwindling, thanks in part to our ever increasing obsession with celebrity gossip, reality shows, tell-all books and, now, social networking sites, most people seem a bit too comfortable putting their lives on full display.

Many of the site members seem to think that letting everyone in on their social calendars makes them appear cool, glamorous and on-the-go, but in the end it just comes across as silly.

Alicia Pergolizzi who is an editor in New York City and also a former MySpacer states, "These sites have become an opportunity for people to pretend to be something different than who they really are. There is nothing genuine about MySpace. It's just another way to keep you in your house interacting with a bunch of imaginary friends who probably scrutinize your page and friend list. Those supposed long-lost friends you've come in contact with are probably more interested in seeing how you measure up in comparison to themselves than rekindling an actual friendship. If you want to socialize, go out and meet real people."

However, not everyone seems to share such sentiments regarding these sites. David*, 31, and Vanessa*, 29, both feel that MySpace, Facebook and other similar sites are a positive addition to our lives.

"My circle has grown tremendously and I've reconnected with old friends that I would never have been able to keep in touch with otherwise. Life is so hectic these days that without the convenience of a computer, most people would fade away from our lives completely," says Vanessa.

David claims, "My accounts are for fun. It's not that serious. I log on, check some things and go about my day. I see no problem with it."

As times change, so will our methods of communication and entertainment, whether we are in favor of it or not. However, much like television, it is quite possible that many of these sites will offer little in the way of personal development.

No one ever achieved great things watching TV all day, and depending on one's objective, it is highly doubtful that checking Facebook and MySpace every other hour will prove to be anymore productive.

*Name has been changed.

Claudia Frias/Terra USA