Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are one of the most interesting and popular innovations on the Internet in the last few years. That much cannot be denied. But are they also responsible for a rise in the number of crimes committed? Apparently so, if you believe FOX News that is.

Almost everyone I know, and I suspect almost everyone you know too, uses one or more social networks. In fact, I think it’s only my parents who don’t, although my mum is currently on a computer course and no doubt will soon be updating her status and sending me tweets with the best of them.

Social networks live and die by the interaction which goes on between people. Sure, the first thing to do is connect with people you know, but that’s rather pointless unless you communicate with each other as well. This is usually done by way of status update (Facebook) or a tweet (Twitter) letting the world, or at least your list of friends, what you’re up to.

My status updates and tweets are generally very boring because, quite frankly, my life is a little dull. But some people live much more fulfilling and exciting lives, regularly leaving their home unattended as they jet off to exotic climes in search of sun, sea, surf, and some other ‘S’ words that I’ll leave to the imagination.

The problem is that informing the world of this excursion out of town could have serious consequences, as this completely understated and knowledgeable FOX News report explains.

That’s correct, update your social network status at your peril because it could cause you to be burgled. Maybe there is something in this, and I’m not usually one to doubt the accuracy of the police force, but this does stink a little of scaremongering, with a few isolated cases being blown out of proportion until there’s suddenly a huge problem. Maybe I’m just cynical, and not very trusting of FOX News.

For this to be true, those people who were burgled as a direct result of updating their Facebook status or tweeting on Twitter about an upcoming holiday would have to have had a potential burglar in their friends list or amongst their followers. And then those criminal masterminds would have would to find out exactly who they were and where they lived before completing the job.

It’s a possibility of course, as we all know there is information about all of us on the Internet we’d rather wasn’t there. But I don’t think it’s yet a problem worthy of concern to most. But just to be on the safe side, be a little vague on the details the next time you go on holiday.

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Entry was posted on Friday, July 17th, 2009 at 3:03 am under Crime, Internet, Opinion, Social Media, Technology.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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