If you use social networking sites carelessly, there’s a good chance something bad will happen to you.

If you don’t believe this, take the case of Jonathan Parker, 19, of Pennsylvania.

Just last week, Parker was arrested for burglary. How did the police catch him?

Parker decided, during the middle of the robbery, to take a break and check his Facebook page.

Unfortunately for him, he also forgot to log out after.

Once the homeowner turned her computer on that night, there was a picture of the perpetrator staring back at her.

In no time, Parker was arrested and faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted.

You may be thinking, “But I don’t even rob houses, so I have nothing to worry about.”

The reality is, a growing number of arrests have been linked to evidence obtained on social networking sites, which is considered to be public property.

Two men were arrested last winter after burning couches in the street in celebration of the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory.

The police used Facebook to find a picture of the two men caught in the act.

Tracking them down was not hard, considering their names were both tagged in the photo.

Also, another man in Indiana was arrested for violation of his parole after police saw he had posted pictures of himself holding a sawed off shotgun on his MySpace page.

A word to the wise, don’t do anything illegal. If you do, don’t post pictures of yourself committing a crime on your profile.

Not only are the police using sites like Facebook and MySpace to aid in criminal investigations, but employers are also beginning to use social networking sites to screen potential employees.

All an employer has to do is type an applicant’s name into Google and, if he looks hard enough, he can often find out much more about the applicant than he ever cared to know.

When in doubt, follow this simple rule: “If you wouldn’t put it on your resume, don’t put it on the web.”

At least set your profile to private. It may not be a perfect safeguard, but it helps.

Now, don’t rush off and delete your profile just yet. There is a positive to the fact that many potential employers are on social networking sites, especially Facebook.

Remember, networking is a two-way street. A growing number of job seekers are using sites like Facebook as means of obtaining a job.

Using contacts to network professionally, rather than merely socially, is a smart way of trying to find an inside track toward that dream job.

Making new connections with business leaders and professionals is a great way to put your name out in the job market.

Also, use you the friends you’re already connected with to see if someone in his network may be the connection you need to land a new gig.

Always keep in mind that your social networking page is a reflection of you, not the online you, but the real-life you

Anything you post can and will be used against you.

Post wisely, and social networking can be a valuable tool in this modern age.

However, if you are careless about what you put on your page, or who you add as a friend, don’t say you weren’t warned.

Remember, you never know who’s looking at your profile right now.