Anti-social networking sites?

Social networking is a product of our generation, but Natalie Bursk asks whether it's really worthwhile

I'm of the Facebook clan and I can't resist being able to instantly send messages and browse photos and videos for every worthwhile campaign harnessing support through Facebook, there are countless other ridiculous ones, often attracting more attention

With the meteoric rise of MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and their cyberspace chums, a new form of interaction has made its mark. These sites are brilliant for networking with friends, family, and people you haven't seen in a while, as well as with complete strangers. Personally, I'm of the Facebook clan and I can't resist being able to instantly send messages and browse photos and videos, as well as discover common interests, search for old school mates and, of course, engage in the odd poking war.

In a world where impatience is becoming a virtue, one of the biggest advantages of social networking sites is speed. Photos can be downloaded with a couple of clicks and viewed by everyone who's in them, and more. Group 'conversation' threads can be sparked in seconds and common friends and interests researched in minutes. By offering so much in one space, even the biggest technophobes can create their own web-space and people can suddenly communicate on a whole new, creative level.

With groups, events and fan pages, social networking sites also offer a whole new platform for planning events and keeping people informed about what's going on. For campaigning, this can be a really useful tool: joining a group can act as a virtual petition and regular updates on the page can help keep members informed and interested. It's not as intrusive as someone approaching you on the street with a clipboard or spamming your inbox, and is a much more interactive way of involving individuals. Online campaigns have proved they can work. My university's student union is currently gathering attention over library opening hours, and last year the NUS launched a successful Facebook campaign to stop HSBC suddenly charging recent graduates interest on their student overdrafts. It's cheap, quick and enables people to control their participation and actively see the difference they make.

So what's the downside? Just like you can search anyone, everyone and anyone can search you! It's true that you can close your profile and display limited information, but there are real privacy dangers. Social networking sites seem to be showing no signs of slowing down and recent privacy controversies have sparked fears of a new 'big brother' community. Advertising and silly applications can get annoying and there's nothing worse than feeling obliged to keep in contact with people you barely know or to have unflattering photos tagged to you for all to see.

On the campaigning front, for every worthwhile and serious campaign out there harnessing support via a group or forum, there are countless other ridiculous ones often attracting far more attention. How many of you saw, or even joined, the 'On May 15th, everybody needs to go out and panic buy carrots' group, for example? It might well be that campaigns by Oxfam and other charity organizations are in danger of being regarded as a silly novelty by appealing in the same space as these 'just for fun' groups, and by the same means.