Social networking websites have come a long way from communication and entertainment sources among college students.

Now, even grandparents stay connected with their children and grandchildren through websites like Facebook.

As the largest social networking site in the world, Facebook  was created  in 2004 as a small communication site for college students in Boston, but has now expanded its client base to include other demographic groups around the world.

“Facebook has made communication and staying in touch with friends and more recently, family so much easier than before these networking sites were around, especially for keeping up with friends and family that live in different cities,” Southern Methodist University junior Steven Kitt said.

Social networking continues to grow among users, who are as young as 13,  but also  among older people who have become better acquainted  with websites predominantly used by college-aged students.

“My son and his wife keep up with siblings, cousins…and know much more about extended family this way,” said Vicki Tongate, SMU English professor, mother and grandmother.

Tongate explains the appeal of Facebook to parents and grandparents.

“Since everyone is so computer-savvy, it’s a very easy way to share photos and stories with multiple people at one time,” Tongate said.

“For families with college-age children or adult children who live at a distance, it’s a real blessing,” she said.

According to The New York Times’ “Business Day,” Facebook has recently surpassed 500 million users and is a household name.

The website has expanded as an unstoppable phenomenon that has people all over the world sharing thoughts, photos and sometimes, every mundane detail of their lives.

“I’ve always loved Facebook as a good way to stay in touch because all of my friends go to schools in different places. It has definitely changed a lot though –now my mom has one, and even my Grandpa has one too,” said Gina Compagno, sophomore at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo.

“It would be impossible to keep all of my family and friends informed of what I’m doing without it,” she said.

However, not all students feel that having millions of users is an ideal situation.

“I just don’t know if it’s worth it anymore to even have a Facebook,” junior Brittany Sweeney said.

“I know that it’s great for keeping up with friends, but having to constantly worry about my privacy settings and whether or not my boss or potential employers are judging what I or my friends write is almost more work than just deleting it,” she said.

Although social networking makes communication easier, students must now be more aware of the information they are publishing  on the Internet.

With the increase of individual users on Facebook, employers and businesses have become familiar with Facebook as well.

“According to a recent survey by Microsoft, 75 percent of U.S. recruiters and human-resource professionals report that their companies require them to do online research about candidates. Many of them use a range of sites when scrutinizing applicants – including search engines, social-networking sites,” said Jeffrey Rosen, law professor at George Washington University, in the New York Times Magazine article “The Web Means the End of Forgetting.”

As students are looking for jobs in tough economic times, they must become aware of every detail that they or others put up on the Internet, as it could be the deciding factor in whether a company hires them.

“I have learned to be really careful of what information I put on my Facebook page, and what my friends put on it,” Compagno said.

“If there is ever anything that I think is inappropriate in any way then I delete it right then.”

While students may need to be more careful, Tongate said that Facebook can still be beneficial to those with a busy lifestyle in the 21st century.

“It’s still a wonderful possibility for all of us who are pressed for time but who still want to stay up to date with our friends and loved ones,” she said.

Those interested in the development, growth and change of social networking websites can see the upcoming film “The Social Network.”

The film is based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich And is opening in theaters everywhere today.