It’s not an issue to be taken lightly.  We all know (or have at least heard the stories) of someone who has been busted for underage drinking because they or people they know posted pictures from that “crazy party, duuude” on their Facebook and/or MySpace page.  But in most cases, this happens when people don’t stop to realize that they’re sharing these pictures with all of their Facebook friends, who just might take it upon themselves to email their friends with the photographic evidence.  But this embarrassment can usually be avoided by the use of a brain.  Besides, we all know who’s really to blame for underage drinking: the parents.

And yet it would be foolhardy to focus entirely on legal issues—it’s also imperative that one examine the emotional impact of social networking.  Now that we’re in high school and the wide world of the World Wide Web is opened before us, we need to be on the lookout for things like cyber-bullying.  This is by far one of the most nefarious practices on the Net, and when it happens, feelings can be hurt.  It’s every bit as serious as bullying in real life, and as we all know, “Bullying: It’s What’s for DinnerIt’s Never Okay.”

The list of problems does not stop there.  Even what seems like harmless online social interaction can take a turn for the worse (pictured above).  This is usually attributed to a condition known as “looseness of the e-tongue.”  There is scientific evidence to suggest that people tend to say things online that they wouldn’t ordinarily say to somebody’s face.  Currently the leading favored hypothesis to explain this social phenomenon is that when they are a safe distance from the person being spoken to, people run a greatly reduced risk of awkwardness, embarrassment, and grievous bodily harm or rage-induced dismemberment.  As such, people need to especially watch what they say and do when they are online.  Otherwise, the next time somebody like me takes a screenshot of your conversation, you might end up being Exhibit A.

So keep that in mind next time you’re on Facebook.  And, uh, don’t have private conversations on your wall, stupid, what were you thinking?  Jeez!

If you have questions, comments, or ideas for what I should rant about/mock viciously in the next issue, contact me at [email protected], where I can promptly ignore your emails entirely.  Or if you want me to actually notice your message, go ahead and drop me a line at [email protected], with the subject “Scroll Lighter Fare” (no quotes).  Seriously, go crazy with that one.  I created that email address specifically for the purpose of housing your hate-mail!  Don’t you feel special?

Image courtesy of esquire.com.