U Matter
Only you can make the decision not to use tobacco, alcohol or drugs. This Web site is designed to give you the facts about tobacco, alcohol and drug use in Columbia. It will also provide you with resources to find factual information about the effects of alcohol and drugs, real stories from teenagers like yourself and answer any questions you might have.
Changing schools has been kind of rough. New classes, new teachers, new friends. The friends part has been the hardest. I thought I had finally found a place to fit in when Amanda and Sarah invited me to sit at their lunch table. They even invited me to go shopping on Saturday. I was really excited.
We went to Amanda’s favorite store first. I picked out a really cute shirt and while I was paying for it, I saw Sarah grab a pair of sunglasses from the counter and just slip them into her purse while the cashier was counting my change. It was weird, but what was I going to say? What if I had only imagined it? But I’m pretty sure it happened, because at the next store, she went into the dressing room with four shirts, and I’m pretty sure she only came out with three. The buzzer at the door went off as we left, but the girl at the register just waved us on. I guess she didn’t notice the missing shirt. But I noticed. And I noticed again when she showed it to us in the food court. I was too embarrassed and freaked to say anything.
It makes me really uncomfortable that anyone would steal something. Even something as small as a pair of $10 sunglasses. No, especially something as small as a pair of $10 sunglasses, because her mom gave her $20 when she dropped us all off. I know she had the money. What am I going to say to Sarah on Monday? I can’t sit with her at lunch! Sarah is the only one who is stealing, but Amanda lets it happen. And now, if I don’t say anything, I’m guilty too. I feel so awful. I wish I would have had the guts to say something when I saw her swipe that pair of sunglasses.
This is a fictional account of the real effects of how drugs affect those around you.
Your Thoughts…n
Online Privacy: Protect Yourself.
Social networking has quickly grown to be one of the most popular ways time is spent online. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube, the list goes on and on. You probably have an account or two or three, or have at least looked into getting one. But, are you thinking about what you are sharing? Would you want the creeper who sits behind you in English class to see all your photos? Your grandma getting your status updates? Your neighbor checking out your videos? A future boss reading your blogs? A stranger stalking your geotags?
Social networking sites are considered public domain, so if you don’t want everyone to see it, don’t let anyone see it online. Once something is posted, it becomes part of the Web—it exists even after you delete it. Once your privacy is gone, it can be hard to get it back, so watch what you post.
