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MARQUETTE -- Experts say the introduction of these forums into our society is fundamentally changing the way we present ourselves to others.

If Facebook were a country, it would be the third-largest country in the world. And the fastest growing segment of users?  College kids.

N.M.U. Sociology Professor Alan McEvoy says it's a subject he's often addressed to his students.

"There's a lot of intimate exchanges that have a life of their own, and when people break up, they will share those intimate exchanges with other people," explains McEvoy.  

More often than not, the users that make them are anonymous.

So what can we do to prevent ourselves from becoming reliant on technology to share our thoughts and feelings?

"The first step is to make people aware of what are some of the issues; the costs and the benefits of social networking and this constant use of social media," McEvoy says.  "I think we can also have intentional dialogue with young people about manners:  what's appropriate to post, what's appropriate to communicate and how it's communicated."

When asked about Skype, the Internet application that allows you to visually speak to someone anywhere in the world, he says that like any other technology, it has enormous positive benefits, but can also be abused, making the user again reliant on technology as opposed to social skills.

"That was never intended to be that way.  Here's another thing:  I've found that about a quarter of the young people when they break up, break up via a text message!"

Roberta Wilson's comment on our Facebook page agrees:  "Often kids don't know how to behave face-to-face since they share conversations over machines.  Out the door goes grammar, spelling and other basic skills."

The line between public and private space is becoming blurred.

"Increasingly, people are in public spaces (restrooms, grocery store lines, elevators) on private conversations, sharing that with other people, and is that a good thing to be doing?" McEvoy asks.

TV6 Facebook fan Tami Leslie Westman says:  "I think, in ways, technology makes us ruder people because we don't 'connect' with a real person when we type and text and say things we would never say in person."