The freedom of MySpace and Facebook provide a relaxed atmosphere for teens to vent, flirt and gossip. This appeals to students who feel constricted by adult authority.

However, online independence often backfires when school administrators or potential employers discover offensive personal pages.

The attraction of MySpace and similar Web sites is obvious to those who desire a freedom from authority figures in the real world. With options such as “friends only,” teens believe their pages are private. What many do not know, however, is that Web sites are accessible through other means, potentially leading to outsiders reading their posts.

In the last few years, the boundaries of MySpace have moved beyond a mere social network to include job and college recruiters. Whether or not they use these sites as evaluation methods is debatable, yet several companies admit to screening possible job candidates through social networking sites.

Messages and pictures that seem meaningless at the time can appear inappropriate in the eyes of a recruiter. Harmless inside jokes between friends may be taken out of context.

A thin line separates freedom from online responsibility and a permanent record of slander. Whether students admit it or not, social networking Web sites affect them outside their account and they will be held accountable for their personal posting choices.