Facebook-girls-18-blogspot.com is a free website that takes pictures of girls – without their consent – from Facebook, and posts them for the public to see. Users then vote on the girls to rank them as they determine if they’re hot – or maybe, not.

With the rising risk of Facebook addiction, many young Cambodians aren’t taking into question whether or not their privacy is being threatened.

Instead, they’re kicking back and enjoying the globally ubiquitous social network.

Every second, young Cambodians are posting photos and text on Facebook. Some even update their profiles with information including home addresses and mobile phone numbers.

Chhoporn Raingsey, 18, a self-proclaimed Facebook addict, has 4,000 friends on Facebook.

She said she posts something to her wall or publishes a new status update about five times per day.

Raingsey said that she feels happy when others comment and give her feedback.

“I’ve never cared about privacy when it comes to my profile,” Raingsey said. “I never had any problems or felt a bad impact.”

On the other hand, Chhean Seak Theng, 19, a student at Limkokwing University, said he takes incredible caution when it comes to posting on Facebook.

According to Theng, it’s easy for others to tag him in compromising photos – or even, take photos he posts and edit them to make them pornographic.

Theng said his reputation’s at stake.

“Because of this, I don’t use Facebook to promote myself or flirt with girls,” he said. “I use Facebook professionally for work and school.”

The Minister of Post and Telecommunications, So Khun, said that although it’s good the number of young internet users in Cambodia is increasing, Facebook can be dangerous.

“Facebook is full of scams and bad pictures, like porn,” So Khun said. “Young Cambodians must be aware of this danger.”

Sam Rathana, a communications lecturer at Royal University of Phnom Penh, said that young Cambodians need to be especially aware of the fact that Facebook can pose a legitimate threat to ruining one’s reputation.

“When you apply for a job, they employer could look at your Facebook account,” Sam Rathana said.

For this week’s Constructive Cambodian, Sam Rathana advises that young Cambodians get to understand the issues and dangers surrounding Facebook clearly.

“Youths ought to use Facebook in a useful way, by looking to Facebook for news and information rather than using it to promote themselves to the public,” he said.