Technology and Fear

It's probably happened to you. You click on a website -- maybe you were searching for song lyrics -- and your computer blows up. Well it doesn't literally blow up. But hundreds of ominous sites appear at once on your screen. Your computer gets infected. It's scary. And expensive to fix. Sometimes you have to replace your computer.

Sounds like a car accident, doesn't it? Accidents happen. In cars and on computers.

But an accident shouldn't frighten you to the point of paralysis. Computers -- and the internet -- are the gateway to a world of information, interactions and relationships that are invaluable. It's important to be cautious, but no so cautious that you miss out on the benefits.

Mistakes happen. A spam email makes it through your firewall. You get the blue screen of death. That third cup of Starbucks ends up in your keyboard. It's not the end of the world.

So, in the spirit of accident prevention, we're encouraging everyone to review the Facebook Help Page, Privacy Guide and the Twitter Help Center.

Learn the features of these tools, be vigilant and careful, but don't forget to enjoy the bounty of technology.