For millions of people, especially among the under-25s, online culture is becoming the only culture that matters. Take the plunge, and the world becomes one massive network in which users band together to share just about everything. Chatrooms and newsgroups have evolved into social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook. Whatever your interest, from biology to extreme sports, there's a website where you can share your thoughts with the like-minded.

But what is the culture really about? Where will it end up? Too early to say, perhaps, but one thing we do know is that taking part means being prepared to behave in some very different ways. Online networking means revealing things about yourself for all the world to see. Your friends may appreciate it, but what about college admissions tutors or future employers? And what is being permanently connected going to do to us? Are we seeing the emergence of a hive mind? Or is it just a new way of maximising your individuality?

Welcome to New Scientist's guide to the social networking revolution, in six features:

This is your space – Discover how social networking evolved, how it works and how it is already revolutionising the way we live, socialise and work

I'll have to ask my friends – Instant messaging, Wi-Fi and cellphones allow us to be constantly plugged into our social networks. Sociologist Sherry Turkle worries this is transforming human psychology

The end of privacy? – You wouldn't tell a stranger on the bus about your sexual habits, so why do people reveal this stuff on websites available to everyone? Will their openness return to haunt them?

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Google – A short story by Bruce Sterling

The internet could be so much better – Social networking websites like MySpace or YouTube owe everything to the genius of Ted Nelson, who invented hypertext in the 1960s

Give it a try – Feeling left out of the social networking revolution? There are many ways you can get involved, so take a look