Social media is a very wonderful tool, and one that has transformed the lives of many in the 21st century.

Even ten years ago, the thought of being able to share in a matter of seconds a photograph taken at, say, a birthday party with family members on the other side of the world, would have been regarded as pie-in-the-sky for most.

And while the likes of Twitter and Facebook might be derided by some as rather vacuous methods of communication aimed mainly at the young, the fact is they have proved invaluable for those who cannot get out of their homes, and as a business and marketing tool.

However, there are also those of us who are a little too free and easy with the way we use social networks.

The immediacy of the internet means we can have a thought and transmit it to thousands of people in as much time as it takes to bash a keyboard.

The problem is, we often give too much away. People gleefully “tweet” about going on holiday, perhaps not realising that the local burglar might be reading.

And not everyone who befriends someone on a social site is necessarily friendly... children and young women in particular should be careful what they say to who.

The rule of thumb should be, if you wouldn’t say it to a stranger on the street, then probably best not to say it on Twitter or Facebook.