VietNamNet Bridge – With Facebook more readily available than ever before, people can use the social-networking tool for all manner of purposes. Some seek entertainment, others solidarity, opportunities or inspiration. By and large, the online platform is a fantastic forum for users to meet like-minded acquaintances and get ahead in life, but like all things, there are occasional drawbacks.

Today, making friends on Facebook is even easier than finding a friend in the real world. At just the click of a button, you can become connected to someone who may change your life forever - while the social networking tool's potential for furthering careers or finding long-lost loved ones is mind-boggling.

Nguyen Kim Anh, a student from Ha Noi National University says if you want to find like-minded friends, there are infinite numbers of groups on Facebook just waiting for you to join.

"Some groups are clearly intended to promote kindness and well-being, such as the "Group to love our families", "Group to love parents", and the "Group for people who miss their homeland".

"Other groups have funny names like the "Group of ugly girls" and the "Group of young men who can't get married".

Joining associations on Facebook is an interesting and unusual concept because members are not hindered by practicality and time as they might be in the physical world.

The only thing you need is an interest in that association's ethos and activities.

Every evening after studying, Ngoc Vinh often spends an hour chatting with friends from his Facebook association dedicated to photography and cameras.

Whenever someone raises a topic, many members jump in to share their interesting and unique opinions, he says.

While some groups are dedicated to hobbies, many others focus on a particular way of life.

At the age of 31, Mai Han (not her real name) is still single.

"Most of my friends have already got married and don't have time to go out with me," she says. "My parents often urge me to try to get married, but I'm really not ready."

She decided to join "association of girls who don't like to get married" in search of respite.

"Each time I log on to Facebook, I meet young women in the same situation. Sometimes we meet at a cafe to encourage each other, eager to overcome other people's expectations and continue to live a single life."

Tran Linh works in banking and is a member of a group of people who love travelling as backpackers.

"One day I was trawling the internet and accidentally saw photos of backpackers on Facebook - I knew this was the place for me and quickly joined the group.

"Each member shares their experiences after a trip and it serves as the best travel guide you can imagine," says Linh.

In addition to providing entertainment, joining Facebook also helps young people to develop their skills.

Mai Linh, a student from the Ha Noi-based Foreign Trade University, joined a Facebook association for people learning English.

"Our association has members of many different ages and backgrounds. Our English skills are of course different, but thanks to the group we can learn from each other. Our association also has an English teacher who voluntarily corrects grammar mistakes for members."

Linh recalls once taking a foreigner on a visit to Ha Noi, an experience made much easier by her Facebook friends who sent her an English document on Ha Noi history to educate her guest.

For young people who intend to study abroad, Facebook pages for overseas students also serve as an effective research tool.

As young people joins these groups, they can receive guidance from experienced members on a range of topics, from how to apply for scholarships right through to what they should pack.

Trinh Kien Long studied in the US and recalls the anxious days he spent preparing to study abroad, before a kind group member came to his rescue.

"When we met on Facebook, we were only virtual friends, but we gradually became as close as family members."

When Long arrived in the US, a friend from that Facebook group picked him up at the airport and took Long to his school.

"Today, we are best friends. Without the association on Facebook, how could I have found such good friends?" he asks with a radiant smile.

Recently, many pages have been set up to find relatives and some of these pages have successfully helped people find long-lost family members.

Facebook users also establish useful pages such as "Finding boarding houses" and "Association of students looking for boarding houses".

As a result of the rapid expansion, many students and workers now consider Facebook a tool to find jobs.

To meet their demands, pages were created such as the "Association of people who need jobs" and "Students looking for extra work" that have attracted tens of thousands of people.

The boom has led many websites for house hunters and jobseekers now sharing their links on Facebook as well.

However, joining associations on Facebook is not always a smooth transaction and there are drawbacks. In some cases, when young users join inappropriate groups, they can be bullied, harassed and corrupted.

Huong Tra, a Ha Noi mother, has seen the dangers of this. "One day I found my son spent too much time to chat on Facebook," she says. "Instead of writing politely, he used dirty words and felt free to swear. Luckily, I quickly put a stop to that behaviour."

Some groups on Facebook regularly post "raunchy" video clips and photos of half-naked members, attracting a torrent of vulgar comments.

"Some Facebook members have been boycotted by their real friends because they were found to have joined the dark side of the social network," says Kim Anh.

It just goes to show, even though Facebook isn't 'real' life, its users must still take the same precautions.

Source: VNS