'Clap' for Facebook

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The London Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) reports a claim by Prof. Peter Kelly, director of public health in Teesside, that  Facebook users are to blame for the spiraling rate of syphillis.

According to Dr. Kelly, reported cases of the venereal disease have increased fourfold in Teesside, Durham and Sunderland, where Facebook usage is highest in the U.K. Research indicates young people in these areas are 25 percent more likely to interact through social media networks than anywhere else in Great Britain. Kelly claims social networking sites, including Facebook, facilitate users meeting for casual sex, and suggests young women are particularly vulnerable.

Facebook has dismissed Dr. Kelly's theory as "ridiculous." Just to be safe, Facebook might consider a tutorial clarifying the meaning of "poking" a friend.