Sample Pitch

Facebook and MySpace may help young people find friends, but these popular social networking sites might also cost some of them a job. Two-thirds of employers now say they’re vetting all job applicants against Facebook and MySpace, discovering scores of sites featuring candidates’ tales of drunken debauchery and even nudity. Such a tactic showcases employers’ increasing sophistication in using the Net to sift through applicants and it represents the latest battleground in the ageless struggle between youthful exuberance and authoritative control.