If you're like most college and even high school students, you have posted your profile to Facebook, MySpace, or another social networking site. But did you realize that your profile can easily be accessed by potential employers, schools, law enforcement agencies, and others? As much as that revelation may be a shock for students, it also came as a shock to those who set up the sites because they never intended outsiders to use the information for purposes other than benign social networking.

The terms of service of these sites typically prohibit their use for commercial purposes. Facebook's terms of service page, for example, states that users understand that the service is available for "personal, non-commercial use only." No reasonable person could argue with a straight face that recruitment is a non-commercial use, but just because such use is prohibited doesn't mean that it isn't happening.

Let me be clear that I love Facebook, MySpace, and the other social networking sites. They're wonderful tools to help students and others connect with people who share their interests. But they also must be used carefully. You should assume that anything that you post on-line is going to be read by your old-fashioned grandmother. If you're fine with her reading your profile, then its contents should be fine. Few would talk with their grandmothers about getting drunk, sexual experiences, breaking laws, etc. so why would they post such information on-line for anyone and everyone to read? Perhaps it is our exhibitionist culture. Today's college students have grown up in an era where the most celebrated stars are on reality TV shows, so how can we blame them for believing that such behavior is to be celebrated rather than pitied?

I'd love to hear about the experiences of those who have posted something on-line that ended up helping or hurting them. Has that happened to you?