When I'm bored at home (after of course doing all of my homework), there's nothing on TV, and I just feel like staying on the computer, I go to YouTube, that amazing Internet invention by which you can watch pretty much any video you want, if someone else has taken the time to add it.

Now these aren't just your average "look what me and my friend did when we were bored" videos (well, some of them are, but they can't all be gems). You can find music videos, instructional videos (learn to Crank Dat!), watch clips from your favorite shows, and pretty much spend countless hours filling your head with trivial information. And if you have the time, it can be a nice break.

Unlike other Web sites and new modes of entertainment, I recently found out that even my mom knows about YouTube! I guess it makes sense considering its growing popularity and the fact that there are practically infinite videos on it, but this is coming from the person who needs help saving a picture onto our computer.

I think that this simple fact is a testament to not only the site's popularity but also to its easy-to-use format. You simply type in what you're looking for, hit enter, and boom! There is a whole selection of videos for your choosing. With such a people-friendly site, it's no wonder that pretty much everyone knows about YouTube and how to use it.

But is that a blessing or a curse? Like any other form of information on the World Wide Web, it can be seen by the whole wide world. And with so many of our adorably technologically-ignorant parents out there, I think that some people have gotten used to a certain modicum of freedom to do or say whatever they want online and not have it get back to their parents. Embarrassing (or incriminating) pictures or videos are put at anyone's fingertips. And with time and careful explanation, the sites that are so popular with youth (MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) could become frequented by parents. And as most people who use YouTube know, it is not always the cleanest, most intelligent outlet for a teen's, ahem, creativity.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't use YouTube. I know that it has provided me with probably countless hours of entertainment and has introduced me to the latest online celebrities, breaking news (the kind of news that teenagers tend to be interested in), and let me watch all the music videos I want, so by no means abandon any addiction you might have to YouTube. But just watch out: In the future, your parents might start asking you if you saw that clip of Britney at the VMAs.