July 30, 2010, 11:13 am

Information Overload

With all of millions of people participating in social-networking sites and programs today, it can be hard to remember sometimes that this common hobby can still be dangerous. You may think that the only people who are able to view your information are the “friends” on your page, but that is a common misconception. Child predators, police officials and the government all have their ways of accessing your pages—putting you at risk of possibly attracting unwanted attention or, at worst, getting busted.

Facebook, for instance, is a great way to meet new people, reconnect with old friends [ ...continue reading ]

March 1, 2010, 2:34 pm

My YouTube Favorites

Teens are discovering fame left and right on YouTube these days. Justin Bieber is a perfect example. When his family was not unable to attend a singing competition that he performed in, he posted videos for them to watch on YouTube. Not only did Justin’s family watch—millions of teens, including me, did too. We watched the dreams of this Canadian boy from Stratford, Ontario, unfold.

AJ Rafael, another major YouTube guilty pleasure of mine, attended the Berkley College of Music in Massachusetts for a year, ultimately deciding it was not for him. On his YouTube page, where you [ ...continue reading ]

February 11, 2010, 5:02 pm

Teens and Cell Phones

So what’s the deal with teens and our cell phones? They’re like an essential body part—we feel incomplete without them. Cell phones are our connection to friends and family out of the country, out of state, even right next to us. They’re a fast social networking device that helps us stay connected to others so that they’re never more than a call or text away. Since I don’t drive yet, one of the biggest reasons I always have my cell phone by my side is the convenience factor. Knowing that the person will get [ ...continue reading ]