In this digital age it’s normal to see people on the street glued to their Blackberrys, checking e-mail, texting, and updating statuses. And with recent technological advances, you can check your Facebook right on your phone, in class, like most of you do.

Don’t deny it.

Eagerly, you log in, almost without thinking about it, and anxiously wait to see if something has changed. Only…nothing has. No new notifications, friend requests, or Farmville updates. That’s probably because you checked it only five minutes ago.

Facebook adds vanity to this generation. Compulsively checking a website to see if someone has miraculously become interested in what you’re doing at that exact moment…can you justify that? I guess my real question is: why do you care?

Let’s face it. How honest are you being about yourself on your Facebook, anyway? You could lie about what you’re doing, and no one would ever know. Are you so concerned with what people think about you?

Facebook makes people more self-centered everyday. It’s a place to go and talk about yourself, vent if need be. I thought that’s what psychiatrists were for. It used to be a place where you could keep in touch with old high school friends. And then it formed into this abyss of useless information about you and people you don’t really like—that anyone can see.

It can put your job, your relationships, and your safety in jeopardy.

I recently found out that when you are interviewing for a job, they are able to look at your Facebook and make decisions about whether you are qualified enough based on the information on your page. Therefore, the more personal you are, the more they have to base a decision on.

Also, if you are aware of how unsafe the Internet is, then you know that your pictures and personal information are splattered for everyone to see, no matter how private your profile is. If your picture is on your page along with, say, the school you attend, imagine how easy it is for them to find you. It might as well be called the “stalker’s playground.”

I’m not trying to scare anyone—or maybe I am—but I just think you should be aware of what you’re getting yourself into. It’s pointless and dangerous.

Now go check your Facebook.