You never know what's out in the world wide web! (Image Credit: myamplifiers.com)

The world wide web is a great resource for lots of things—information for research papers, communicating with friends, and of course, cat videos. There is no doubt that teenagers spend large amounts of their day online. Though there are no real rules of the Internet, there are certainly some decisions that are frowned upon; this is my list of the ten unwritten rules of the Internet.

1. No weird email usernames. Most people have at least one of these in their lifetime, whether it’s supacutegurL@email.com or hunkymonkeybanana@email.com. These usernames don’t give off the greatest first impression, so get rid of yours ASAP!

2. Do not view inappropriate websites in public places. This should be obvious—be respectful of others and your surroundings.

3. If you do something illegal, DO NOT post it online. Most people won’t care anyway and it will likely come back to haunt you later on. This includes all types of online mediums: status updates, blog posts, photographs, as well as videos.

4. No excessive changing of profile pictures. Unless you went through some intensive surgery, you probably don’t look that different in a picture compared to another taken just last week. You may even be judged as being a narcissistic and someone who cares too much about looks.

5. Do not send chain mails. It may seem tempting, but seriously, not sending that email to fifty of your friends does not guarantee that you will not be murdered by “Little Charlie” tonight at 3:00 a.m. Chain mail is annoying to most people, so steer clear of them.

6. No poking. I don’t like being poked constantly in real life, so I don’t really want to be “poked” online on a social networking website.

7. Do not “like” your own posts. If you are one to like your own posts, you probably like about another thirty pages a day (on average), too. This is equivalent to repeatedly laughing out loud to your own jokes.

8. Tone down the volume. Whether you’re watching a video on YouTube or listening to an online radio station, be respectful of your environment and wear headphones if needed. Even then, make sure others can’t hear the sounds coming out of your headphones.

9. Type normally. Do not type IN ALL CAPS; IT’S JUST LIKE SHOUTING IN SOMEONE’S FACE. Similarly, try to avoid other awkward styles such as capitalizing The First Letter Of Every Single Word Like This, or using symbols as w0rd$ 1ik3 th1$. It only make reading whatever you’re typing harder.

10. Remember, “lol” makes everything better. Tried asking a girl out on a date online and didn’t get a quick answer back? Toss in a “lol” (laugh out loud) to make it seem like you weren’t as serious as you were. Friend asks your honest opinion of her horrible barf-colored Prom dress? Tell her the truth, but add a “lol” at the end for good measure.

Which one of these unwritten rules of the Internet are you guilty of not following?

                As healthy young people it is important to take advantage of the time we have every day.  Since we are teenagers it is easy to waste away the days on the computer or take things for granted.  However, we are in the prime of our youth so we should live every day like it is our last.  By following these ten steps you will be able to live life to its fullest:

Live your life to the fullest. (Photo Credit: http://www.trinitymp.org)

1. Start each day with a fresh start. Forget about things in the past.  Don’t let a bad test or game that happened yesterday or in the past affect who you are in the present.  Do not be pessimistic.  Life is what you make it out to be.  Something negative can be turned into something positive.  Be happy with the life you are given.
2. Be proactive.  Do not be someone who stands around and waits for someone else to take action.  Take the initiative and do things for yourself.  Don’t put life on hold.  If there is something that you’ve wanted to do go out and do it!  If there is a club you really want, but your school doesn’t have it, create it yourself.
3. Be more aware of your life.  If you are able to live more consciously, you can appreciate the moments in your life more.  Enjoy new life experiences. Do not procrastinate.  This wastes your precious time.  It will make you a lot happier if you finish things early so you can enjoy your days, instead of spending them working on an essay or project.  Take intoaccount the things that are going on in your life.
4. Discover what you have a passion for.  If you cannot find something that you enjoy then what is the purpose of going through life’s motions?  If you can find that one thing you truly love doing it will enrich your life.  Set goals for yourself.  Give your life a purpose and try to fulfill your goals every day.  This will make your everyday life more enjoyable.
5. Hang out with other successful individuals.  Their attitude will reflect on you and you will also be able to become a more positive person.  You will feed off of each other’senergy and influence one another in positive ways.  Do something for other people every day.  Helping other people will not only make the other person feel better, but it will also make you a happier person.

                Don’t let life pass you by as you sit idly watching life’s opportunities pass you.  Make the most out of each day!

            2012 had a rough start, filled with ailment.  As many people know a nasty flu and cold has been going around, causing them to miss school and other important occasions.  It is important to know how to go about your daily life without having to worry about illness.  Sometimes it may be difficult to avoid sickness but these ten steps will greatly reduce your chances of catching a sickness:

Thoroughly wash your hands before doing any activity that risks exposure to viruses that may have come from unsanitary hands. (Photo Credit:http://www.foodinsight.org)

1. Eat fruits and vegetables.  While most people hate eating fruits and veggies, they can drastically boost your immune system.  By keeping a healthy diet you will be able toprevent getting sick.  Include lots of nutrients in your meals so that your immune system remains strong and can fight off any viruses that enter your body.
2. Wash your hands thoroughly.  By washing your hands you remove any cold and flu viruses that could be lingering on your skin.  Antibacterial soaps kill 99.9% of viruses.  Hard scrubbing is very effective in removing viruses, so be sure to wash under fingernails and between fingers.
3. Keep surfaces of counters and tables clean.  Anything with a surface that many people touch has the possibility of having viruses.  Viruses can live on surfaces for up to twenty hours.  Sanitize all the surfaces to rid them of cold and flu viruses.
4. Wear warm clothes when you are out in the cold.  Despite the common misconception, the cold climate does not actually cause you to get colds, but makes you more susceptible to cold and flu viruses.  Keeping your body warms makes your cells more able to fight viruses.
5. Take vitamins and supplements.  Nutritional supplements will also help build your immune system up.  Vitamin C may help in reducing your chances of getting sick. Multivitamins that contain vitamin C and minerals are good for your immune system.  If you don’t like swallowing pills, eat the delicious gummy vitamins.
6. Stay away from overly crowded places.  If you think that there will be a high concentration of viruses or a high chance of catching an illness at a location, avoid it!  Likewise, if you have the cold or flu, stay at home to prevent spreading the illness.
7. Work out.  People who work out have fewer and less severe colds.  By working out your body is able to circulate more immune boosting cells.  These cells will make your body much more effective in preventing sickness.
8. Keep the air in your house humid.  Viruses thrive in dry air.  Dry air also causes your nose and throat to dry, allowing any viruses in your body to prosper.
9. Be sure to get lots of sleep.  Getting an adequate amount of sleep is essential in keeping your immune system strong.  Sleep will help you fight off viruses.  A lack of sleep can greatly decrease the effectiveness of your immune system.
10. Reduce the stress in your life.  Put a little fun in your life every now and then.  Stress can have a bigger effect on your immune system than you may think.

Now that you know how to prevent sickness, hopefully you will be able to stay healthy this season and make it through the year with little to no illness.

Candy canes, hot cocoa, and gingerbread oh my! These are only some of the sugary delicacies that are friendly to your tummy, but less than pleasing to your waste line. Did you know that the average American gains about 3 pounds during this festive season? Nevertheless, why avoid these holiday favorites when you can just burn off the extra calories later? Gaining a few extra pounds will be inevitable during the holidays, but always remember these 10 easy and painless tips to recovering your pre-holiday season figure.

1)Do bicep curls with your holiday ham.

2) Compete with your friends to see who can finish their Christmas shopping quickest.

3)Work your face and ab muscles by laughing at a marathon of comedic shows

4)Study hard for upcoming finals. Thinking burns calories.

5)Volunteer to sweep the fallen leaves off every house on your block.

6) Play hide and go seek with your friends at a Christmas tree farm. Don’t get caught!

7)Instead of using a ladder to decorate the top of your Christmas tree, jump up and down to put on the ornaments.

Have a dance off with your friends and family to the tune of your favorite Christmas songs.

9) Find the items to give your true love on the 12 days of Christmas. (be careful trying to catch 7 swans a swimming! )

10) Volunteer to be the Santa for holiday photo shoots at your local mall. Smiling works your cheek muscles.