Social revoluation or social disaster?

Social networking sites have become one of the most universally recognisable ways of communicating these days, and as the availability of the Internet reaches further and further around the world, more and more of us are able to connect and reach out to people and places around the world that we were formerly unable to. This sociability has bought with it some dangerous consequences and the mind boggles at the opportunities that these sort of sites give to dangerous sexual predators trawling for victims.

Now that we are more accessible, we are also more vulnerable and open to temptations. Recently I signed up for a meeting new people online programme, and although I am happy to report that I got quite a lot of positive responses and flirts. What concerned me, was that a lot of them were from married men. Now, I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but I have to wonder why these married men feel the need to have on-line lady friends. Is this a form of "on-line" cheating? or is it now socially acceptable? It also makes me think how do the wives feel about their husbands having all these lady friend, and more frighteningly - do they know? One or two of the men that accepted my friendship I've discovered are married, but yet have quite a few very nice looking and attractive lady friends on-line.

It seems that with the Internet, social boundaries and norms have become blurred, and things are no longer what they seem. These days anything goes, and I wonder how far they do go?

I try to keep my conversations away from sexual tones, but it is a very fine line to tread indeed and it is a battle believe me. I wonder how many of these friendships start off innocently enough but progress into dangerous waters. It is so so easy...

Don't get me wrong - I think these social networking sites can connect you with a myriad of like minded people and reunite you with long-lost friends, family and even boy friends, but somewhere along the line we've lost a piece of ourselves in making ourselves so accessible to all. Nothing is private any longer - we can assume the persona of whoever we want to in order to travel the net looking to meet people. Here it is a case of what you see is not always what you get!!

Pandora's Box has been opened and the only thing that remains is hope.....