We have all heard of social networks; indeed, it is highly likely that you are a member of at least one, probably two such sites for yourself.
But well done if you are not; you have not yet been assimilated.
Social networks are used in a myriad of weird and wonderful ways; by friends to stay in touch, by companies to advertise their services, and by people to give their own unique slant on the world.
However, they are also used for less wholesome means of course.
This could be something as simplistic as bullying by schoolmates of course, though worryingly it is with the big corporations that the real threat comes.
Anonymous data share is high everywhere, we know that; but through certain techniques they are able to trace us and find out who we are.
A gross invasion of privacy many would argue; but it is much our own fault.
The more information we put online, the more we say about ourselves.
Chances are, you want people to recognize this, and react to it.
That is all that is going on of course; it is just a question of which friends are reporting back on you really.
Another corporate area where social networks have curried favor is in journalism.
Somewhere approaching 60% of all journalists suggest that Twitter is a credible source of factual information for them to work with; think of the recent Hudson river plane crash, and this becomes clear.
Many also claim that finding information is quicker through such platforms, than it would be through other media areas.
However, is such a reliance on information gained this way not undermining what was once a noble institution? Journalists used to have to work hard for their stories, and deserved every shred of credit that was directed to them.
Whether or not this can be said now with their use of social networks, is questionable.