Ah, January – you can already smell the faint odor of broken New Year’s Resolutions mixed in with a dash of regret (and we are only four days into the New Year!). After all, it’s easy on Dec. 31 to declare that you will eat healthier food, quit smoking and save money, but then Jan. 1 rolls around and it’s just so much easier to curl up on your couch, eat Rocky Road ice cream and buy a movie on demand. Hey, it’s cold out here on the East Coast!

But for those of you that have resolved to visit Grandma more, actually use that darn gym membership and find time out of a seemingly 28-hour work day to volunteer, have you also given thought to your technology-specific resolutions?

For all you 20-somethings out there – a group that I suspect (as a member myself) abuses and uses technology more than any other group – I give you 20 commandments to live by.

1.       Thou Shall Refrain from Looking up Everything on a Smartphone

Long before there was the smartphone, there was the good ole’ human brain – capable of remembering obscure facts such as “I had no idea you could milk a cat” is from “Meet the Parents” and that Arizona became that last of the contiguous states to join the Union. So the next time you are at Trivia night or stumped about a fact that you feel you really should know, refrain from Googling it on your smartphone and think. Your brain won’t know what hit it. 

2.       Thou Shall Think about the Importance of the 140 Words About to be Tweeted

If the phrases “Real Housewives,” “bi-winning,” or “Lady Gaga” are in your soon-to-be tweeted message, press delete. Contrary to popular belief, your entire social network does not always want to know about what you thought of last night’s episode or of Lady Gaga’s New Year’s outfit (horrible, we know). Reserve tweets for message worthy sentences; the rest can wait for the in-person conversation. 

3.       Thou Shall Put Down the Wii and Go to the Gym

Yes Wii offers a plethora of recreational games from boxing to tennis to baseball, and some are so rousing you might actually start to break the tiniest sweat. But please remember that Wii was meant to be fun first and foremost and not as a way to lose weight. Therefore, enjoy your Wii but maintain that gym membership and, even better, use it. A Wii is no match when it comes to a real boxing class with gloves and bag to boot.

4.       Thou Shall Avoid Using Facebook’s (News - Alert) New Timeline (News - Alert) as a Source of Contention

Unfortunately, Facebook’s latest makeover means that girlfriends/boyfriends and husbands/wives everywhere are getting an unwanted glimpse into their significant other’s Facebook history. Yes, we are talking about old posts to exes and old photos. But since Mark Zuckerberg (News - Alert) will probably never understand the concept of less is more, accept the new timeline and don’t bother checking your partner’s page. 

5.       Thou Shall Make Eye Contact During Work Meetings

Sure, it’s easy to bring an iPad or laptop to a company meeting (after all, these tablets have become the modern day notebook), but this year save the technology for your desk and challenge yourself to go to a meeting and focus more on maintaining eye contact with the boss than color coding your to-do list. (Note this resolution also applies to other places you bring these gadgets – restaurants, bars, movies…)

6.       Thou Shall Befriend Someone New

Whether it’s a co-worker, fellow Zumba goer or friend of a friend, make an effort to expand your social network. And please note that by “befriend” someone, we are not referring to Facebook’s loose definition of friendship in which you can “friend” anyone you have mildly ever come across in your entire lifespan. 

7.       Thou Shall Abstain from Following Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber on Twitter (News - Alert) (News - Alert)

Simply put, you will never feel good if you live vicariously through someone who can afford a $10 million wedding which will be followed by 72 days of marriage or someone who can rent out L.A.’s Staples (News - Alert) Center for a date. Instead, try living vicariously through that long-lost college friend who managed to land her dream job, dream apartment and dream guy all in one year (and follow her).

8.       Thou Shall Invest in a Hybrid Car

It’s a sad day when you realize your beloved Jeep has seen the last of its days but embrace the fact that car makers everywhere are coming forward with hybrid, electric and even chargeable cars. There is no better time than this year to save a little money on a car payment and hop aboard the green technology bandwagon. 

9.       Thou Shall Stop Video Chatting and Start Physically Chatting

For 2012, swap the webcam for an in-person visit and get in the car and drive the two hours to Boston to visit your old college roommate. You will be amazed at how good it feels to see someone talk and gesticulate in real time. 

10.   Thou Shall Avoid Malls and Embrace At-Home Shopping

With the advent of mobile banking, fashion blogs and online dressing rooms, why waste the time standing in long lines and navigating through hordes of 13-year-old girls at malls for your winter wardrobe when you can do it all from the comfort of your home? Get the credit card ready and start cyber shopping.

11.   Thou Shall Remember that Texting is not Courting

Attention 20-something males: texting is not an appropriate medium to ask for a date. Chivalry still exists, and while technology has certainly made it easier to BBM, WhatsApp and SMS a girl for a date, instead pick up the phone and her ask out the old-fashioned way. 

12.   Thou Shall Take Advantage of Blogging

Are you the next Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs? Are you ready to invent the next great thing? Then get your ideas out there. One of the best things about the Internet is the proliferation of blogs and how acceptable they have become. Start blogging regularly and you never know who will notice you. 

13.   Thou Shall Get Pictures Developed

Facebook can’t seem to stay constant for more than six months so in that vein walk yourself over to a CVS and get your favorite pictures developed. Today they might be online for you to enjoy but tomorrow who knows what the Zuck will do with them. 

14.   Thou Shall Start Networking

The key part of the phrase “social networking sites” is networking. These sites were designed for you to network – with people in your field, old friends, etc. Instead of using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (News - Alert) for stalking exes, use them to connect with people in your industry and advance your career. 

15.   Thou Shall Accept that Online Dating is an Acceptable Way to Meet Someone

Let’s face it: with the unveiling of Match.com, eharmony.com, and jdate.com (and all their success stories), you should no longer find it embarrassing to join these sites. Conversely, if you are single and in your 20’s, there is no better way to meet someone nowadays. 

16.   Thou Shall Properly Screen a Roommate Before Signing a Lease

Thanks to the Internet, you no longer have to fear that you know little about your new roommate except for what he/she wrote in his/her Craigslist ad. Instead, go to Facebook and observe their profile, check LinkedIn to see if they are really employed and Google (News - Alert) their name to see if a criminal record pops up. 

17.   Thou Shall Save Money This Year

Thanks to sites like Groupon.com and LivingSocial (News - Alert).com, it is now easier than ever to make your dollar stretch. From finding two movie tickets for seven dollars to obtaining a $100 dollar gift certificate at your favorite restaurant, these online deal sites make it easy to avoid being in the red each month. 

18.   Thou Shall See the Non-Obvious Benefits of Pandora (News - Alert)

Sure, Pandora is helpful for drowning out that co-worker who screams on the phone all day long, but for a few minutes each day at work, put down the headphones and use Pandora to bond with that co-worker you don’t really know. Ask them what music they are listening to and lend suggestions – an easy way to begin bonding. 

19.   Thou Shall Download 'Words with Friends'

Not only is this app (which allows you to play endless Scrabble games with your friends) extremely fun, but it’s thought-provoking, as well. Bet you didn’t think you remembered all the SAT words that you do!

20.   Thou Shall be Thankful to Have Grown up in a World Rich with Technology

Sure, from time to time we abuse our tech use (such as when we text others while we are dining with a friend or invest too much time with our Xbox), but ultimately we should be thankful that we live in a world where we can watch “Keeping up with Kardashians” while we workout, where a GPS can help us get home, and where Siri can tell us how to find the closest liquor store.