Google, harmless or harmful?

Google

   I can't think of a person who doesn't know what Google is.  It runs our online lives.  I find myself opening Google even from other search engines.  It is the only search engine that I trust.  Why is that? Well from the information that I have learned about Google it is probably because it has exactly what I like.  It picks the links that I would want, it is my one stop shop.  When I think about this...how does Google know me so well?  It becomes a bit disturbing when I process how much is known about me by this cyberspace robot that I know nothing about yet trust with basically my whole life...

Privacy

   Often I think of online "creepers" as being middle aged men who make fake profiles and lure young girls to meet them.  I consider myself safe because I don't give my information out to people online that I don't know...or do I? Anyone who knows their way around Google could potentially access information that pertains to my personal life.  This is a scary thought.  If someone at Google wanted to find out about me, they have access to my electronic paper trail.  However, I do think that most of the things that I Google do not put me in any danger. Nor do the things that I post online.  It is just a scary thought to think of those that over-post online.  It could happen to anyone.  It is important to be mindful of everything that we post online. 

Protection

   I think that online safety is something that the younger generations should be educated on.  It is hard though because talking to kids about online safety often goes in one ear and out the other because they can't imagine anything bad happening.  I was the same way, hindsight can be 20/20 though.  The people who have been victimized by the internet probably didn't think they were being put in harms way either.  If anyone has any ideas on how to promote internet safety in a way to get through to kids I think it is worth sharing.