Pause Before You Netlog

Each generation witnesses a revolution that electrifies the whole society. For the last generation it was the telephone perhaps. Currently the society is constantly jolted out of its torpour by unusual and startling discoveries. First it was the mobile technology which made everyone instantaneously accessible 24x7. Then the email sank the business of Indian Posts and Telegraphs. It is the social networking sites that are the buzzword today. They facilitate contact and interaction between people crossing the boundaries of country and language.

- Sia Mitra

Well, you being a part of the “kewl klub” have a blog of your own (of course!) and interact with your friends over a social networking site (undoubtedly). Why, you have just finished posting details of the wild party you had last night, right? You sure had a blast as you imitated the steps of that deliciously raunchy song. That was fun!

Well it was all between friends. Research shows that it might not be so. As people are becoming increasingly aware of the social networking sites, your inputs are becoming more and more visible. To become a member of such a site users fill up a form for registration. This contains all your contact information and other personal details. You can even upload a photograph of yours out there. What people don’t realise is that all that personal information is out there, begging to be misused.

Voyeurs prowl such sites to get information about susceptible preys. It can be easily obtained from friends of friends. Reading through the interactions, it’s easy to get to know the mental make-up of the person. Then they are just like sitting ducks, waiting to be victimised. Some even leave contact information and other details explicitly on these sites.