Micah Dugan is a 2008 graduate of Astoria High School and is the current editor-in-chief of “The Bandit,” Clatsop Community College’s newspaper. He plans to obtain his journalism degree from the University of Oregon and enter the print or broadcast journalist fields.

The newest American generation of adults is plugged in – born and raised on the information superhighway, and slowly weaned off Sega Genesis and Nickelodeon toward complete and utter disconnection from the world. It’s a whole Attention Deficit Disorder generation with fingers glued to the keyboard, and anxiously expecting a text message on their new fliptouch sidemobile cell phone. Oh, and everyone has a Facebook page.

Among the older set, there is a notion that social networking is age-exclusive, and neo-Luddites condemn social networks for being nothing more than sophisticated forms of narcissism. But since the turn of the century, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter have been systematically changing the way we communicate, the way we work and the way we live. Admittedly, some of it is pointless and self-indulgent, but these sites are taking over the Web and are connecting the entire world – so maybe it’s time for the Baby Boomers to benefit from the social networking revolution.

Feeling a little out of your element? Don’t fret. As a product of 21st-century America, I am here to help you on your journey by weighing the pros and cons of each of the three major social networks.

Whatever social network you choose (if any), be aware of the possibilities – reconnecting with old friends, co-workers, classmates, and if the mood strikes you, some good old-fashioned parental snooping on your kids.

Some say social networks will signal the end to shared national experiences along the lines of a moon landing. But I beg to differ. In an increasingly connected world, there will be more and more communication about such historic events, and it will even be feasible to have a shared global experience.

There are always two sides to the coin, though. Do we all really want to be suspended in a nonintimate cyberspace? Do we all really want to be another brick in the wall? Are these social networks what George Orwell had in mind? These are the questions Boomers must ask themselves before entering technology’s brave new world, a world where chaos and disorder can be caused simply by turning off the power. But this new American generation seems blissfully ignorant – they would rather ignore all that and follow Ashton Kutcher’s tweets, or at the very most write a blog about it.

MySpace (www.myspace.com)

Within three years of launching, MySpace became an Internet haven for seemingly every one of America’s youths, with the number of total user accounts eclipsing 100 million. MySpace became a powerful symbol of the digital age, and ushered in a new era for a new generation.

Like most social networking sites, when you sign up for an account on MySpace, you create a profile. Here you can tell the world about yourself: your interests, hobbies, favorite books, music, TV shows, movies, your sexual preference, relationship status, ethnicity, religious beliefs and more. I know what you’re thinking: You mean there is no spot for my credit card and Social Security information? The fact is that with MySpace and all social networks, the amount of information you choose to enter is completely under your control, thus minimizing risks to your personal info. You can also post pictures of yourself, and use online help sites to design your profile page.

The good thing about MySpace is that it serves as more than just a social networking site. You are open to browse and join in on any number of forums on topics from “American Idol” to Senate races. You may also join groups dedicated to a cause or the greatness of a energy drink; you can view MySpace TV (which is similar to YouTube); you can browse the MySpace News service and even the MySpace classifieds. But the best thing about MySpace is the free access to a vast collection of music – from the Rolling Stones to local bands looking for their big break.

In the last few years, it seems MySpace has taken a back seat in the social networking realm. You can chalk up the site’s fall from grace to the rise of Twitter and Facebook, and the fact that it was sold for approximately $327 million to Rupert Murdoch from Fox News.

Twitter (www.twitter.com)

When someone describes Twitter, it may sound like a ridiculous and pointless way to spend any amount of time. The idea is to share in excruciating detail the mindless minutia of your everyday life in 140 character spaces or fewer. These are called “tweets” that are read by your “followers,” who are supposedly incredibly moved that this morning you ate two bowls of Cap’n Crunch and took a shower before going to work.

Twitter doesn’t serve much positive personal purpose. Those who don’t care that you had a hearty breakfast this morning do care that Shaquille O’Neill just went rummaging through his closet. Twitter gives the American public a real-time window into the lives of the rock stars they lip-sync to every day and the actors and actresses they all desire to be. However, Twitter is revolutionizing they way we communicate and gain information.

Twitter’s growing global community has caused the major news networks to get onboard, delivering real-time breaking news to the Twittering masses, and it has opened up more dialogue between the general public and the politicians and problem solvers. In a couple of years, instead of students writing a letter to their local congressman in fifth-period Government class, they could very well be sending him a tweet.

Facebook (www.facebook.com)

Without a doubt, the best social network currently available is Facebook. Created in the dorm room of four computer science students at Harvard, Facebook has become the trendy MySpace alternative.

The site is similar in many ways to MySpace, with photos and profile creation. But Facebook has stayed true to the meaning of social networking. It does not offer the frills of free music or online videos; instead, it focuses more on the actual communication aspect. The site also has a more user-friendly interface – it is easier to navigate, more organized and more efficient than its Myspace rival.

One thing that does get rather annoying is the constant polls and surveys your “friends” (whom you wonder all of a sudden why you added) send you. How long would you survive in a horror movie? What character from “Heroes” are you? The president I am most like is Chester A. Arthur! Awesome!

If you are not at all familiar with computers, then social networks are not the place to start and all of the above probably made very little sense to you. But if you are a curious Boomer who wants on the social networking bandwagon, Facebook is probably your best bet. MySpace may be too confusing and Twitter will just be a waste of time.