What are the uses and misuses of social networking sites ?

Major uses of social networking sites are :

1. It is easier to connect with people from all across the world on social networking site.
2. With social networking, conducting discussions and collecting views or opinions on anything has become easier.
3. Social networking sites provide interactive involvement with other people.
4. Interactive involvement in online and social networking forums helps in improving the world awareness.

Major misuses of social networking sites are :

1. Some people with wrong intentions can misuse the personal information posted by innocent users such as date-of-birth, address, school address, phone numbers etc.
2. Some people with bad intentions use social networking sites for spreading baseless 'facts' resulting in a complete abuse of the 'freedom of expression'.
3. There are numerous fake user profiles in these sites.
4. With growing use of social networking sites undesirable elements have crept up who resort to needless bullying, defamation, harmful commenting and pranks and persecute hapless, innocent victims and pages.
5. In order to fit under peer-pressure, often people lie or put exaggerated information about them. This leads to consequences born out of jealousy and harmful reactions.