Since Facebook, MySpace or Bebo appeared, they have become a great way for young people to keep in touch with friends. There are things, however, you should do to stay safe and protect yourselves. First, if you do not want to use your real name, you may invent a nickname. Also, most sites ask you to provide them with an email address: use any address to avoid spam or unwanted guests. Feel free to write lots of interesting things in your online profile, but never ever put real house address or existing phone numbers. In fact, don't give any information that potentially could let strangers know your identity, because on the Internet you never know who is looking.
/тут что-то пропущено/ If you fail to protect their personal data, you will put your friends in danger in the future. So the general massage is: have fun, but take care.