Ring, ring. What is that unfamiliar sound?

Don’t you remember what it was like to talk to your friend on the phone, or is it much easier to text them? Easier, yes, but it is certainly not as personal as actually talking to someone. This generation is so reliant on technology that people have forgotten what it was like to have a conversation with someone in person.

So, can that be changed, or will generations to come think of new ways to distance themselves from society?

Time will only tell; however, prevention starts now. The real question is: Are teens aware of the consequences of posting things online?

Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and texting are used by people everywhere, mainly by teens to escape reality and travel in a virtual world where their freedom of speech is unlimited, right? Not exactly. What people post online can be read by anyone and everyone who wants to see it.

So you didn’t think twice when you posted that comment “dissing” that girl at school no one likes? Or even when you made a hate page about a teacher? Okay, not every single person does that, but teens these days are not at all aware that what gets posted stays forever.

You had better think twice the next time you say something you don’t want your employer, college admissions school administrator, family and even “Facebook friends” to see.

Some may not take technology and privacy as seriously as others; maybe because what they think they say is only going to be seen by their friends.

Private profiles simply do not cut it, sorry, folks. Although it is definitely a good idea and will block people you are not “friends” with from viewing, there are certainly ways to get around it. If it’s not your entire page, it could be a picture or even something you posted on another “friend’s” page that all of their “friends” can see.

The reason I keep putting the word “friends” in quotes is the majority of people on social networking sites are not actually friends with all their 300 or more Facebook or MySpace connections. Those “friends” are now able to share your personal information with others. Is that something you want all those people to have unlimited access to? You may not have realized that the intoxicated guy with a camera that you got a picture with on Friday night was actually going to put it up on Facebook the next morning. So it might make you think twice next time about the choices you make and how it affects others around you.

We are not living in a perfect world.

All of us are going to post things that may feel good at the time or even can be a little insulting, but to go all out and bash people or put up crazy pictures of what you were doing is totally out of line. Absolutely no one wants to see that, so take it off, please.

Be cautious of things that you post and text messages you send to your friends that you think are only being viewed by them. Trust me, it will pay off in the long run resisting those urges to post exactly how you feel at the time, and don’t say I didn’t warn you if you get called down to the principal’s office the next day for something on your page you thought only you and your friends could see.

Be careful, be aware and most of all, be safe.

Michelle Solomon is a senior at Redmond High School.