Facebook: Social Networking vs. Inappropriate Usage

When Facebook first created in early 2004, it is safe to say that many people were interested but skeptical about the new social networking site. However, in the last eight years, this website has become one of the most visited by people on the internet. If you asked most people what they believe Facebook is used for, they would say to stay connected with their friends and family. While this may be true, it is also being used in negative ways that a lot of people don't expect, including bullying and the site being a source for self-esteem. The most recent occurrence of this was "The Most Beautiful Teen Contest" flooding many's news feeds. Teens from all over the world posted photos, subjecting themselves to the critiques from the rest of the Facebook world. The contest was shut down by Facebook shortly after, especially after all the hurtful comments and the risks of people being exposed to online predators. We don't expect this fun social networking site to be used in these types of ways, but they do occur more often than we think. What are your opinions on this? Is Facebook still mostly a way to stay connected with loved ones, or is it evolving into more, unacceptable ways of communication and exposing opinions?

Here is a video discussing "The Most Beautiful Teen Contest"'s shut down.