Many teenagers are addicted to technology and the internet, a place that can be a cruel world that’s chock-full of danger.

There are people on the internet who are kind and want to be friends with other people, but there are also those who only seek to harm other internet users.

Being open about themselves, many teenagers don’t care who they talk to online. They just want to find someone else who understands.

This leaves them vulnerable and leaks their personal information to all corners of the internet.

However, what teens need to understand is that if they fail to keep their information concealed, someone could potentially harm them.

While using the internet, junior Rebekah Caudle tries to keep as much of her information to herself as possible.

“I make all of my stuff (accounts) private,” Caudle said.

Caudles advises teens to be cautious online.

“Check out who it is before you follow them and keep all of your profiles private,” she said.

According to the American Psychological Association, 56 percent of youth internet users post their personal information online and 26 percent sent personal information to unknown people over the internet.

This is usually because a teenager is trying to maintain an internet friend. But this friend may not be who they say they are.

Junior Megan Millinkov said that having friends on the internet is fine as long as you don’t cross any personal barriers.

“If you want to make friends online that’s OK,” Millinkov said. “Just get to know them first and don’t add them on everything and definitely don’t tell them any personal information.”

Other things teens should think about is keeping their computers secure, which also keeps their personal information safe.

Security programs are the best way to keep you and your computer safe.

There are many security programs available such as McAfee Computer Security and Norton Security. All of them protect your computer from harmful internet files and other types of firewall infiltration.

According to Mr. Anthony Klinck, computer technician, there are many ways to stay safe on the internet.

“Avoid the scams, don’t click on a link unless you recognize who it’s from,” Klinck said. “You need a good firewall, but the best thing is just to think.”