Week 10

Dear Shanna,

I know that in middle school your social life seems like the most important thing in your life. Everything revolves around your friends. You spend your day with them at school, you text them, and you talk to them and see what they are up to using Facebook. Facebook is fun. You get to talk to you friends, see their pictures, leave messages on your friends’ walls, give birthday shout-outs, and maybe even be “added” as a friend by the cute boy that sits next to you in math. I know first-hand that Facebook is a fun website. But I also know that Facebook can have many negative effects on you. Many people become addicted to Facebook and spend hour after hour pointlessly scanning their News Feed and looking at the profiles of various individuals. Facebook can hurt your social life and people skills if you spend too much time on it. Be sure to interact with your friends in person. Don’t spend your Friday nights chatting to them on Facebook, plan something with them and spend time with them in person. You should have more face-time with your friends than Facebook time with them. You also need to be careful for sexual predators. Never allow people that you don’t know to have access to your information. Keep your profile settings on private and only add people as friends if you know who they are. Also never post information or give out any information that contains where you live or other personal information. I also want you to remember to never post anything on Facebook that you wouldn’t want Mom or Dad to see. Future employers and colleges often access the Facebook profiles of applicants and turn away individuals with offensive or inappropriate content. Also be sure to not participate in cyberbullying in any shape or form. Do not post offensive remarks about people and never threaten anyone, even jokingly. I hope you take my advice seriously and use Facebook cautiously. There is nothing wrong with Facebook, but like all things in life we need to use it wisely and in moderation.

Your Sister,
Nicole