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According to a recent Nielsen study, the number of Americans who spend their time on social networking sites is increasing. This trend can mean big bucks for businesses looking to hone in on their target markets. The demographic of the social networking audience is much older and more diverse these days, with the over 50 crowd visiting sites like Facebook twice as much as users who are under the age of 18. Online video sites like YouTube are also seeing sharp growth. So what’s the bottom line? Determine if your customers are spending more time on social networks. If that’s the case, ditch the phone book advertising and set your sights on the world wide web.

The Pew Internet Project recently reported that 73% percent of teenagers currently use one kind of social networking or another. While this worries some parents, the reality is that social networking has both pros and cons. One of the main risks is cyber bullying, which refers to one person writing negative and harassing things to or about another person. This is just like any other bullying problem a teen might experience at school. While cyber bullying is a real problem, it’s important to consider that there are positive things about social networking as well. Studies have shown that using these sites can improve social skills, can offer an outlet for self-expression and can increase educational development. The bottom line is that it’s important to stay on top of a child’s online activities to ensure they’re using their time wisely, productively – and safely.