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If all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too? The answer to this age-old question is, YES! Just ask the millions who've succumbed to their peers' collective urgings and have migrated to the ultra-popular Facebook.

Truth be told, peer pressure is the driving force behind popular social networking websites. And the Net is littered with one-time, gotta-have-a-page-there sites. Remember LiveJournal, the original social network of blogs? Then came the Friendster frenzy. MySpace showed up and stole the show with their bells and whistles. LinkedIn, a business-focused social network, brought cool to the cubicle. And now it's Facebook, and tempting real-time status updates with Twitter. Net users are busy bopping from hot social network to hot social network, dragging their digital lives along with them.

Despite all the time a user spends adding friends, posting pics, and writing witty blurbs, a website's relevance is dictated by the user's peer group. To be popular — or even just stay in touch in today's digital world — you have to log on to the sites your friends frequent. This requires staying on top of social networking trends. If not, you may be left out of the conversation.

"Facebook simply provides the perfect digital tool for really what is already 'the language' of anyone under the age of 30,' " writes Jeff Roach, VP of Marketing Strategy at Youthography, in the firm's bi-weekly newsletter, Forward.

Youthography, a youth research and marketing communications agency, recently conducted "pulse check" on the topic of online peer pressure. Roach was surprised to discover how many youth said they were forced onto Facebook. He says users openly reported they "had to join" as a result of friends' persistence or harassment. To be fair, he says, "most people who write that stuff go onto to say 'Wow, I can't believe how cool it was.'"

Social networking websites offer everyone the chance to play Kevin Bacon in six degrees of separation. This friend-of-a-friend user-generated content relies on buzz and word-of-mouse invites.

Toronto university student Kathryn Komorowski can relate. She joined Facebook in 2005 while on a student exchange in Australia. Her friend, a student at UCLA, encouraged her. At the time Facebook was for students only.

"Now, I use it to keep in touch with friends from far away and friends in my neighbourhood. I peer-pressured people to join. It's a good way to keep in touch," Komorowski explains (via Facebook, of course). "Keep in mind, I have hi5 and MySpace too. I even got Friendster in 2004 but never used it. Of all of the other networks I feel Facebook is probably the most versatile."

Komorowski, and her many profiles, is the exception. Youthography research found that the bulk of people can't handle more than one social networking website. Some go back and forth between Facebook and MySpace, but most users stick with one.

Despite the Faceboom, there already seems to be a backlash. There are privacy concerns with data mining, surveillance, and creeping. In 2006, a group of students organized a weeklong boycott over the News Feed & Mini Feed feature, which details every move you make on the site. And some people are just staying away from Facebook because of its popularity.

"Sometimes it's better not to go with the flow," says Jen-Yi Hum, a Personal Trainer and Dancer. Hum prefers real life. "I'd rather see people physically. If you are my friend, and you live in Toronto, I can't see why we can't physically meet up, instead of virtually."

Hum does not have a profile on any of the social network sites. "I only have my Hotmail account, which I check fleetingly. I don't own a computer, and I don't work with a computer." She doesn't see much sense in creating a profile on Facebook because she'll just need to update it all the time, and with limited computer access, that's a challenge.

However, being offline leaves her out of the loop. Her friends often organize themselves Web 2.0 style. "They'll actually make plans on Facebook, and don't call me, because they don't use the phone anymore."

Hum says that one friend was the Facebook ring leader (or in Tipping Point terminology — the connector) and got everyone else onto Facebook. "He tried to sign me up while I was sitting beside him one day," she laughs. Hum opted out immediately. Her friends often joke about creating a Facebook group about Hum.

Any chance she'll give in? "I think when I decide to buy a computer."

But at what point will Komorowski and other netizens move on to the new flavour of the week? "I think, from experience, I can't really foresee (famous last words!) anything that can top Facebook," reasons Komorowski. "It just seems to have all of the great selling features of the other networks in an the most user friendly format."

Roach points out that in any product cycle there's always room for new and improved. "We've heard of companies in California working on deep interactive, video-based online social networking technology. So who knows if that will take off?"

Jennifer Hollett is a broadcast journalist and freelance writer who admits to dragging her friends into her evolving social networks.