Oh dear, it seems that the latest news I've been reading has got to do very much with teens. And they're not all that good either.

The first one I read reported by BBC was about how social networking sites (SNS) actually threaten community life - according to the Archbishop. Well, I've got agree to a certain extent that facebook, friendster, myspace... they're really all about the superficial. More often than not, people add friends just to widen their social circle. It's not how deep the relationship runs; it's about how wide the pool of so-called friends are, some of them whom you've never even met in real life before.

Of course there are those who say they have no intention of adding people they do not know as friends. But really, who can tell? Intention is one thing; temptation and curiosity, a totally different story. Up till now, I've ignored people I do not know a couple of times. Yet, there are times when I've accepted people who are friends of friends just for harmless fun. And later, discovered that I actually know them, not as a friend, but an acquaintance. From there, our lives are intertwined once again and a friendship begins. So, sometimes the story does have a happy ending.

Not brushing the risks under the carpet, we have to take note that whatever we put up, pictures and what not, will be accessible to many who are not even our friends. Sometimes I wonder how tight the security of Facebook actually is... for a simple computer noob like me, it would suffice. But what about a computer geek, IT intelletual, or worse, a cyberstalker and hacker? Technology is ever-evolving. What's the frequency of security updates on these SNS, I question.

In fact, recently, my elder brother added me on Facebook. And he's going to be a father now. (By the way, it's confirmed: I'm getting a nephew!!!) Imagine him playing Happy Farm or whatever childish application on FB.. haiz, I give up, my poor nephew's future is at stake. Then, even more recently, my mum added me on FB. If that's not enough, my dad too! Oh man! I suddenly feel as if my personal space has been intruded. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong or playing any silly games or posting erotic pictures of myself. But somehow, I always felt like FB was a youngster thing (even though I know teachers use them and old ladies too), a secret world of my own, and my friends. This just goes to show that despite the knowledge that such sites are available to anyone with internet access, regardless of age, most of us still go ahead and take the risks of putting up information of ourselves.

Children, take note, our parents are no longer old-fashioned and outdated as we think they are. They are very much as hip and trendy as the boy with headphones who's playing PS beside you on the MRT.