Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year, you have heard of a little thing called MySpace.com.

Whether it’s on “Dateline NBC” or in a dorm room down the hall, for better or worse, this social networking phenomenon is everywhere.

For those of you who don’t know what it is, MySpace is a free Web site where people can create and share profiles, pictures, Web journals and blogs.

The site was created in 1999 and is currently owned by media mogul and creator of Fox Entertainment Group Rupert Murdoch. Along with MySpace, Murdoch’s holdings include shares in the New York Post, TV Guide and, at one time, even the Los Angeles Dodgers.

MySpace facilitates over 60 million members and is responsible for over 12 billion unique Web pages created mostly by men and women between the ages of 16 and 34. From brother and sister duos promoting homemade rap albums to college guys showing off their naked tattoo-covered torsos, you can find anything and anyone on MySpace.

Although MySpace is one of the most popular social networking sites on the internet, it is not the only one.

Facebook.com is another free site similar to MySpace, although there is one major difference. In order to create a profile on Facebook, you must have an e-mail address issued from a college or high school supported by the Web site. Once you become a member you can access a directory of more than seven million students, each organized by the school they attend.

Both of these sites are great ways to share information and meet new people, however, there are some major downsides.

Anything you post on these sites can be viewed by anyone who has a profile and sometimes even those who don’t.

These people can include your parents, professors, boss, siblings, law enforcement officials and even that creepy person who used to stalk you in high school.

The information posted on your page can be used in legal investigations, judicial cases and in hiring processes.

Any incriminating language or pictures on your personal page can result in criminal charges, conduct hearings, termination of employment and even suspension or expulsion from school.

So, next time you’re at school typing at a computer in the Union lab and updating your MySpace account, be careful of what you post, because you never know who may be watching.

Sources: Facebook.com, Wikipedia.com and Consumeraffairs.com

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