PORTLAND, Ore. - A recent study gives us an eye-opening look at how the Internet has changed our daily lives.

The comprehensive study, by Internet security company Symantec, highlights how the web has altered the way we do everything - from making friends to managing our money.

Here are some of the ways our lives have changed since the advent of the Internet:

• Remember when online dating was taboo?  Now it is advertised on TV and there are millions of members.
• You can now buy, sell and barter just about anything on eBay and Craigslist.
• People use the Internet to meet love interests.
• People are making their personal feud's public on the Internet.
• People are shopping, listening to music and balancing their checkbook online.

But with the Internet becoming so mainstream, experts warn that we may not be taking the safety precautions we once were.  According to the study, 50 percent of participants have made friends online and of those, 60 to 80 percent report actually meeting their online friends in person.

Another surprising statistic from the study is how much parents think their kids spend on the Internet.  Parents typically said two to three hours a month, but when the kids were asked, they said 20 to 40 hours a month.

Despite how much the Internet has changed, the rules for staying safe while on the web have not. 

• Keep your private information private.
• Don't give out your phone number, address or your age online.
• Watch what your kids are doing online.  Keep the computer in a common area, like your living room.