Modern technologies such as social media and smart phones provide many great benefits for all of us every day. They offer a wonderful way of communicating and keeping in touch. An endless source of information. A means for constant diversion and entertainment. We are all well aware of these uses and benefits of modern technology. What far few of us seem to understand, however, is that in the wrong hands, and in the wrong situation, such technology can be the equivalent of a loaded gun. Posting insults about others or private information about ourselves can have devastating effects. It can cost friendships. It can cost you your job or get you expelled from school. And, in the worst cases, it can be a life and death matter that leads to suicide. The fact that the Internet is so new makes it truly exciting. At the same time, however, it also means that we are just beginning to understand the power of this technology. In order to maximize the positive benefits of the Internet, we must become more aware of its destructive possibilities and how we can prevent these possibilities from becoming a reality. One of the first problems we have with modern technology is that too many people of all ages are posting information and comments online that impact their own lives in a negative way. In Hickory, North Carolina, a disgruntled college student expressed his dismay about the school with an online post asking if anyone knew a good virus he could send to the school computer. The post seemed to be made as a joke, but the student was expelled from school as a result. Several teachers over the last few years have lost their jobs after posting derogatory comments about students and parents online. Twelve employees of Virgin Airlines were fired from their jobs after making fun of passengers and joking about defective engines online. In other cases, ill-advised postings have cost people much more than their jobs. In Ohio, a sixteen year old girl named Jesse Logan sent nude photos of herself to a boyfriend, only to have him send the photos around to others after they broke up. This led to Jesse being tormented by other girls at school, with the situation becoming so severe that Jesse Logan eventually committed suicide. This shows how severe the consequences can be when people make bad decisions about what they send out into cyberspace. In many c