Lately, lots of teens have been moving from MySpace to Facebook because they think it’s “more private.” The reality is that nothing is ever completely private on the internet. Since MySpace and Facebook are the most popular social networking sites with teens, you should understand each site’s history and privacy settings.

MySpace: A Place For Friends…and fans

Most of MySpace’s early users were musicians. They used the site as a way to connect with their fans, post new songs or send bulletins about upcoming shows. Because of this, MySpace always had a very self promotional vibe – it was a tool for artists to break through and be discovered. Teens began to join MySpace because their favorite artists and bands were there, and then discovered that they could use the same set of tools to socialize with their friends, usually the same friends they would see every day at school.

You are supposed to be 14-years-old to join MySpace, even though we all know how easy it is to lie about your age. The default setting for 14 and 15-year-olds on MySpace is private, meaning only your friends can see your profile. In 2006, MySpace decided that users whose ages are set over 18 could no longer add users whose ages are set from 14 to 15 years as friends unless they already know the user's full name or email address.

Facebook: Campus beginnings

A Harvard student originally started Facebook for Harvard students. The idea was that students would use these social networking tools to get to know who was going to be at school in the fall. It was understood that you would always see your Facebook friends in person in the dorm or at the cafeteria. It became so popular that it spread to the other Ivy League schools and then to all colleges. Pretty soon most U.S. college students had a Facebook profile. Facebook is now open to everyone, and the fastest growing group of users on the site are over the age of 40!

You have to be 13 years old to join Facebook. The default privacy setting is private, just for friends you accept. But there are loopholes! If you join a network on Facebook, everyone in that network can see your profile, friend or not, unless you go in and change your privacy settings. For example, say you might apply to a specific college so you join that network to meet students and alumni of that school. Guess what? Admissions officers in that network can now see your profile!

Here are some tips to help you take control of your privacy online:

Nothing is every truly private online. If you don’t want someone to find something out or something to get out, you shouldn’t be posting it online (this goes for text, images and video). Even if your profile is set to private and is just for your friends, friends can be fickle and betray you. It’s as simple as one friend reading something about a person and then telling that person resulting in major drama. Remember, anything you type or any photo you post can be easily copied and pasted.

Don’t share your passwords. Even with your BFFs. Like I said, friends can be fickle, boyfriends and girlfriends break up. And sometimes revenge is as easy as logging in as you and doing serious damage to your profile or your relationships.

Don’t rely on your default settings. Click on the privacy links on MySpace and/or Facebook, read every single option they give you and then make conscious decisions about what aspects of your profile you want to be private or public. There are tons of options on Facebook controlling your Newsfeed, photos, videos, Wall and more. Remember, companies often make your default settings opted in (the check box is checked to say yes!) for marketers to be able to use the information in your profile in order sell you products they think you might like or to receive email from the social networking site itself (the monthly MySpace newsletter). If you don’t want your information to be tracked or to receive these emails, you often have to go in and uncheck the boxes.

Be careful when you accept applications or “widgets.” These are all the rage on MySpace and Facebook – quizzes, horoscopes, Zombies, etc. They’re fun to add to your profile and send to others. Just make sure you are aware that when you sign up for these applications, you may be giving your information to another company that is not MySpace or Facebook. Look for those “checked in” checkboxes.

If you’re going to use these sites to socialize, just be aware that the internet is a virtual public place and that complete privacy is an illusion. Still, you can take an active role in managing your online reputation by controlling who sees what and by thinking about what you post before you hit publish.