I have used it to get rid of a cat, find a friend and figure out what to make for dinner. I have gone on lunch dates, rented movies, visited certain restaurants and avoided others as a direct result. It’s one of the first things I do each morning and, truth be told, I probably do it at least 20 more times a day.

Yes, Facebook is my constant companion. I use it to keep in touch with special friends – as for those annoying acquaintances, call me and I’ll tell you how to block them. As an extrovert who works from home, I use social networking as my water cooler. Others appreciate how social networks let them stay in touch on their own terms, with complete control over content and contacts.

We are not alone, as CNN Money reported last week:

“According to The Nielsen Company, time spent on social networking sites by internet users worldwide has increased from 3 hours per month to 5.5 hours per month. This is an impressive 82% increase. Nielsen also concluded that people spend the most Internet time overall on social networks and blogs, and that social web sites such as Facebook are now the most common homepages for users.

Ooooh, did you catch that? Ms. Jones spends more of her online hours on social networks and blogs than on websites like yours. Is your website a waste, then? I think not. But these statistics seem to say that static sites without a social strategy are a waste of Ms. Jones’ time.

Do you have a personal Facebook page? Do you Twitter? How many times a day do you check your social networks? Do you check in with your phone? Do your spouse, kids or grandkids have their own social profiles? How can you hook up with Ms. Jones? What turns her off online, and what makes her click on over?

Does she “like” you?