In this short overview, Dr Bernie Hogan discusses the main themes of his lecture in the OII's series of lectures aimed at undergraduates. Social network sites (SNS) are rapidly becoming a significant aspect of everyday life, especially for youth. Their novelty and rapid diffusion raises a number of questions that touch on timeless issues, such as privacy, as well as emergent ones: Do SNS act as a substitute for offline interaction? Can we consider hundreds of Facebook friends 'real' friends? How do individuals manage the blurring of public and private boundaries on general social network sites?

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