You love your computer. You enjoy playing games online. Maybe your Dad lets you post messages to your cousins using his social media page. You can’t wait until you get your own social media account. Don’t hold your breath. By the time you are old enough, social media won’t be the same!

In the last few weeks, people have become very angry with Facebook. upset. Facebook took personal details about their lives and sold those details to make money. For many people, selling their information was an invasion of privacy. Imagine someone you don’t know sneaking into your bedroom and picking through your dresser drawers. That’s what many adults thought it felt like.

So many people were mad at Facebook that they closed and deleted their pages. Steve Wozniak, one of the men who started the company that makes Apple computers and iPhone, deleted his Facebook account. So did Elon Musk, the tech whiz who just launched a car into space. And so did Will Ferrell, the actor who played the main character in the Christmas movie ELF.

More importantly, almost 3 million young adults under the age of 25 stopped using Facebook. These people didn’t like their private information being used to make money for a gigantic company.

Most of the time, when your personal information is sold, it is used to try to sell you something or to sell something to your Facebook friends. This may not seem all that bad, but it means that all the facts of your life online are being examined by strangers. These strangers don’t care about you or your friends. They do care about making money. You are just how they make that money.

Another problem adults have with Facebook is that their information can be used to steal their identity. Identity theft is when someone takes another person’s personal details and applies for things like credit cards, bank accounts and money from the government. Identity thieves sometimes use the stolen identity to get mobile phone accounts and run up huge bills. They even steal the identity of little kids.

Many of those victims don’t know that their identities have been stolen because most little kids don’t apply for credit cards or file tax returns or any of the other things that alert people to identity theft. When the child grows up and does apply for a credit card, he or she may discover that they owe money all over the world. This can happen when private information is used by thieves. This is another reason that many adults are leaving Facebook.

Millions of people around the world are deciding that Facebook doesn’t make their lives better. In some cases, Facebook makes their lives worse. Many still like seeing what other people are doing and like being “liked.” What about you?

For many, the idea of “good manners” conjures up images of someone wagging a finger at you. Etiquette is simply being thoughtful of others. Good manners on social media means taking a moment to think before you hit that post icon.

It means looking at what you do online as if you are someone else and realizing how your actions and words look to others.

Manners are not about being fake or sucking up. Manners are about adding to the online world without shutting people down and cutting off communication.

It also is about protecting YOU.

While media manners are always evolving as online behavior and options arise, these are basic guidelines to help you and your followers get along and benefit from the amazing methods of communications available today:

• Never post a picture of someone else without permission. Not only is this rude, it is spreading another person’s image or personal information (for example, that they were at a party in your backyard on a certain date). Always get permission and if the person says no, respect his or her decision.

• Further to the first rule – NEVER tag a person without their consent.

• Never post when you are angry. To do so makes you look stupid or thoughtless. It also can inflict damage on people because your view may not take into consideration of the circumstances from that person’s point of view. When another person’s actions bother you, the better response is to talk to that person face-to-face or in a private message. You will probably find that you and the person who made you angry are not as different or as conflicted as you think.

Ever heard of the 24 hour rule? While it may make you feel better to write down your initial feelings when you are angry, don’t post your thoughts until you sleep on it. Take some time to cool off. This way, you won’t communicate something in the heat of the moment that you will regret later.

• If you change your relationship status, let any other involved person know first. You and Rahim or Rachel are on the outs. But before you make a post in front of the whole world, contact Rahim or Rachel and explain your thoughts. Who knows? You might even repair any damage from the spat before it becomes locked in time forever on the Internet.

• Be careful with CAPS! There are times when choice words emphasized by capital letters helps make your point. To put a whole statement in caps implies that you are yelling with nothing standing out. If everything is in caps, nothing is emphasized.

• When video chatting or posting a video, make sure that there is nothing creepy or rude behind you. Imagine someone chatting with you in front of a poster that a bit raunchy or somewhat violent looking. Such creepy images not only make what you say seem ridiculous, they will come back to haunt you when you apply for a job or want to make new friends.

Make your own list of good manner and share with your friends. The more we respect the thoughts of other people, the better we can make life on line rewarding for all.

Dear Human. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. After all, we spend a lot of time together. Together, we explore the big, wide world. We play, we learn and we visit with friends. But I need to be honest with you. There are some things you do that make me feel bad.

I don’t like it when you click on bad and ugly pictures.

They make me uncomfortable and sometimes when you look at ugly pictures, I get hurt. The people who post that gross stuff also stick viruses in the picture. By clicking on those pictures, you can accidentally download a virus which could make me sick.

If I get infected, I’d have to go to the computer doctor to get fixed. While I’m being repaired, you won’t have me to play with. I’d miss you. Please, watch out for gross pictures and websites with creepy names.

I know you want to watch that new movie that just came out, but think before you click. Streaming and downloading sites are filled with all sorts of malware. When you steam a movie or download that show, you could also be downloading spyware or phishing software.

Some stranger far away can then look inside of me and take your pictures and emails and videos. Then can even break me so bad that I can’t play with you anymore. Please, take care of me. Don’t stream or download unless your parents have a subscription with a business they can trust.

Also, I don’t like it when you use me to hurt others.

It might seem like fun to you or a way to show friends how clever you are, but those mean words sting. I’m your friend, not some goon you use to push people around. Please, be nice when you use me. Be polite. Remember, computers are supposed to better the life of humans, not bully people around.

I’m your friend. I’m your study buddy. I’m on your gaming team. I’m the tool that can take you all the way around the world while you sit safe in your home. Let’s share the world together. Think before you click.

Yours truly,
Your Computer.

P.S.  My friends—your cell phone and play station—wanted me to remind you that they feel the same way that I do.

Aliens won’t swoop down and grab you for experiments. Zombies will not eat your brain. And that dark shapeless thing that lurks beneath your basement stairs?  Well, all sorts of monsters may run through your mind, but the fact is – they don’t exist.

Most kids live nice, safe lives. Yes, there are REAL dangers to that exist in the world but here are four things that you should really take precautions for in your everyday life.

Invisible Creatures. One of the biggest dangers for kids are tiny monsters that you can’t even see. Every year, thousands of kids go to the hospital because of sickness caused by germs and bacteria. Luckily, you can beat those SCARY THINGS very easily. The most important thing to remember is to wash your hands often. When these creatures do hurt you, listen to your parents and stay in bed. Sometimes a good night’s sleep is enough to get rid of those monsters.

Household Whoopsies. Simple accidents send thousands of grownups and children to hospital every year. Slipping in bathtubs, grabbing a hot pot off the stove, playing carelessly with sharp objects or matches—accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. You don’t need superpowers to beat a Whoopsie. All you need to do is follow basic rules, like watching out for water on the bathroom floor, respecting knives, being careful around hot pots and, most importantly, listening when your Mom or Dad gives you a warning.

Automotive Accidents. Everyone loves the power and speed of a car or truck. Vehicles take you to exciting places—and sometimes to the hospital. You probably know someone who was hurt badly in a car accident. Luckily, there are actions you can take to prevent this SCARY THING. First, always wear your seat belt. Keep your eyes open and on the streets when riding around. When walking, look both ways before crossing the street. Cars and trucks are fun and useful when people think about safety.

We live in a world full of huge, dangerous animals. You have probably cowered as you watched a movie where sharks take huge gaping bites out of swimmers. You’ve watched kids chased by velociraptors and people crushed by giant snakes. The truth is that the most dangerous living creature to humans is the mosquito. Yup. That little buzzer has hurt more humans than any other living species. They can carry illnesses that they inject when they sting. Most mosquitos aren’t very dangerous; they’re mostly annoying. But don’t just ignore them. Use bug spray when playing in grass or in the woods, especially around ponds or lakes.

Monsters with chainsaws, hungry great white sharks, creatures under your bed—these can be scary, but unless you get a role in a movie, chances are they won’t bother you. The real SCARY THINGS that can happen are things that you can beat, if you think and act with safety in mind.