It’s not just celebrities who can no longer hide from unwanted publicity. Every day people are being targeted as a result of social networking sites.

Facebook, Bebo and Myspace are some of the popular social networking sites used by millions. These sites have reunited friends, supported campaigns and given unsigned bands a way to promote their music.

But, are such forms of communication the root of some of the problems in today’s society?

Although these sites are increasing in popularity, so are the problems that come with them.

An area of concern is that they expose a lot – some may argue too much – about the private lives of individuals.

Personal information, such as photographs, personal details and even hourly updates about what people are up to, are publicly displayed.

Revealing personal information to friends may not be an issue for some, but they may not be aware of the fact that details are made available to third-party application developers, marketing companies and government organisations.

Studies suggest that data can be sold to advertising companies who already collect browsing and behavioural information about people as they move about the web.

We need to realise that although such sites may be a great way to stay in touch with friends, people should be more cautious when displaying too much personal information.

Another issue that may occur as a result of social networking sites is obesity. Can this be one of the problems resulting from such ‘easy’ technology?

While there are many reasons for the rise of obesity, studies suggest there is a link with increased use of video games, increased watching of television and the popularity of social networking sites.

Have these sites made people lazy when it comes to communication?

In my case, and a lot of my friends, it certainly has.

Simple actions like walking a few steps to chat with someone now seems like a laborious task. I put my hand up to admit that I am known to message my friends on Facebook when they are only sitting a few feet away from me.

Walking 10,000 steps a day – about five miles in length – is widely recommended by exercise experts. Research shows that most people only achieve 3,000 to 6,000 steps a day.

So, technology may be to blame for increasing rates of obesity.