There have definitely been some creepy apps that have hit the market in the past, but a new one called “Girls Around Me” might be the most unsettling! Let’s just say it’s a wonderful mix of really extreme people watching and straight-up stalking. This sounds like a good, healthy and safe concept to put on all cell phones, right?

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Are you worried that death will prevent you from saying goodbye to the people you love most or making sure you leave the world with all your scores settled? Well, surprisingly enough, they have an app for that now.

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In its latest wave of updates, Facebook has revealed that it mines user data such as profile updates, statuses, wall posts, and even messages, in order to sell advertising to companies who want to target a very specific group. While what they’re doing is legal, many users feel their privacy is being encroached upon. The solutions are simple: quit your ad-laden social networking site, and join one of the up-and-coming social networks -- like MyDot -- that is ad-free and offers pay-as-you-go memberships (no month-to-month obligation), so your user information is safe.

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Ah, strange irony. Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, has been granted a restraining order against a man named Pradeep Manukonda. The restraining order states that the 31-year-old “Facebook stalker” is obligated to stay at least 300 yard away from Zuckerberg, along with Zuckerberg’s sister and girlfriend.

Zuckerberg is allegedly being stalked by Manukonda, who has repeatedly tried to “follow, surveil, and contact Mr. Zuckerberg using language threatening his personal safety” and the safety of those close to him.

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A Long Island woman allegedly mowed down her cousin twice (TWICE!) with a minivan after a Facebook-fueled catfight over (sigh) a man. The incident left the victim helpless in the middle of a busy road on a freezing night.

Giselle Penagos, 21, required emergency surgery on Monday to fix a broken leg and shattered pelvis after she and her cousin Melanie Spanopoulos fought viciously over a cyber-flirt during a car ride.

Luckily, an unidentified man rescued Penagos as she lay bleeding in the street, and rushed her to her father’s house in Queens.

“If it wasn’t for the good Samaritan, she could very easily have been hit by another car,” said Nassau County Detective SSgt. Robert Galgano.

The incident occurred when, after watching the Jets game at a bar, Spanopoulos and Penagos headed home. Galgano said that’s when one of the girls found out the other one was in touch with a potential love interest on Facebook.

Spanopoulos’ lawyer, Dennis Lemke, said the man refused Penagos’ friend request but accepted Spanopoulos’. When Spanopoulos pulled off the parkway, Penagos got out. After Penagos refused to get back in the van, the two began fighting in the street. Then, Spanopoulos allegedly got behind the wheel and smashed into her cousin. She then put the car in reverse and ran the woman over again.

Spanopoulos is charged with assault and was released on $10,000 bail.

(pictured: Melanie Spanopoulos).

This weekend, cartoon characters started popping up all over Facebook news feeds. Chances are, if you're on Facebook, at least one of your friends changed his or her profile picture to a cartoon they loved as a child. And while you may be puzzled, there's a simple explanation: it's going to help prevent child abuse. Wait....what?

The cartoon'ing started in Greece in mid-November, and by last weekend, the message had changed from "remember your childhood" to "this is for a campaign against violence on children." How did that happen? And more importantly, what does changing one's picture actually do to help fight against violence on children? Sadly, not much.  While taking a trip down memory lane may be enjoyable and fun, child abuse certainly isn't (obviously).  Connecting the two is unhelpful at best, and at worst, pretty offensive. One Facebook user I know said that she was doing it "for fun" -- which is fine, so long as there's no "I'm doing this to end child abuse" stipulation, because let's face it -- cartoons probably aren't going to stop a single incident of abuse.  And for those users who say that changing pictures to cartoons was to "raise awareness", I ask this: Is there anyone who ISN'T aware of child abuse? And further, what does simply being aware of it do to stop it? Not much.

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