Social Networks and their effect on friendships

I recently found an article about the growing trend of social networks for young people, see it here.
Well we all could see this one coming! I remember when I was young, playing football and even some hide-and-seke outside. The last few years I noticed that the youngster go out less and less. 


They call the use of social networking sites by children a worldwide phenomenon and despite the age requirements 25% of the 8-12 year olds have profiles on Facebook, Myspace and bebo. Moshi Monsters, a kids social network has over a staggering 22 million users. But what is the long term effect of joining a social network at such a young age?


I think at time we people will have less and less problems with being on a social network. Now you have quite a lot of people that either don't feel the need for a profile or are against it. A part of me thinks that having a social network at such a young age can give them some sort of an advantage later on. But I also feel that it might have some serious effect on the way people treat each other. Will we at one point have so much platonic-friendships that we don't have time to make friends for life? I think that's what worries me the most, I get "friend invites" from people who made my life sometimes miserable or I had no social connection with. 


At the moment I generally don't accept them, just because I (think) I know how they are like in real life.

I firmly believe in second and even third chances but through a click of a button seems way too easy.