It seems the latest Facebook craze of groups and fan pages could have a bad affect on school life, social life and even career prospects.

Facebook, an online networking site has seen a real increase in the number of pages, which could be supporting anything from celebrities to sausage rolls, and even humorously entitled groups which make you smile and say ‘oh yes I do that, too.’ Most people just join these groups and pages without much of a second thought - we do not really tend to think about the implications of supporting them.

Schools, Colleges and Universities are beginning to check prospective student’s Facebook profile, especially looking at any groups or fan pages they could have joined. For most, this is not a problem; however one student found herself in a lot of trouble following a fan page that she had set up.

Katherine Evans, a student in Florida, set up a Facebook page criticising one of her teachers. She was consequently suspended from her school for three days for ‘cyber-bullying’.

So next time we join a group or fan page, maybe we should think about the impact that the group could have on those offering us places at universities or jobs; what you may think is a harmless joke could be seen as more.