It has happened to everyone- those random friend requests from a person in another country with little to no mutual friends. The question is, do you accept that friend, or do you shun them for trying to reach out? Do you want your number of friends to rack up or do you want to limit it to only close friends?

     What is the harm in accepting that fellow Facebooker? Try not to assume that everyone means the worst. Yes, ignore him or her if there are big signs of ulterior motives, but then there is that rule, do not judge a book by its cover.

     The next question is, why did he or she friend request you? Maybe they want to have more friends on their profile or maybe they want to make some real life friends. The question becomes a conflict that can limit anyone’s social boundaries.

     What if the random person who friend requested you turned out to be really kind and you become great friends? Then you can be thankful that you were open enough to accept their friend request. Many high school relationships have been ignited through the common bond of Facebook. Dating websites are such a success, why not take that step a little early and do the high school equivalent, reach out to a Facebook crush. For those kids that are too shy to speak up in person, they can now express themselves through Facebook, if only given the chance.

     Worse comes to worst, there is a creepy man who will not leave you alone and you block him forever. He can no longer contact you and you do not have to worry about him anymore. The most important concern is that there is no phone number, email, or home address on your profile that this stalker can contact you at. But those safety precautions should have already been taken.

      Give the world a chance, do not be persuaded to cower in your shell and hide from outsiders. Scituate is a small town and there is more out there to be opened up to. Not everyone is evil and can hurt you through the Internet. The shield that people put up prevents them from living life to the fullest.

     The lesson is to open your horizons and not confine your friends to those you see everyday in school or at work. There are potential friends everywhere around the world, just looking for your acceptance.