Should I shut down my computer?

We've had this discussion in class before - should you turn your computer off when you aren't using it or can you leave it on 24/7?
In the early days of computer use, we learned to always shut down our desktop computers at night to give the components a chance to "rest."

However, today's computers are different.

Is it safe to turn your computer on and off each day?  Yes, until it reaches its "old age" in which case you will want to leave it on to keep equipment failure from preventing startup of the device.

Is it safe to leave your computer on all the time?  Yes.  There is  no harm in leaving your computer on 24/7 with the provision that you are protecting it from voltage surges, lightning strikes, etc. (which you should be doing even if you shut it down daily.)

Want to read a LOT more about this topic?  Check out this article.

Sleep versus Shut Down

Don't confuse a computer going to sleep with shutting it down.  Just because your computer screen is dark does not mean it has shut down.  Although I often leave my computer on, I do shut it down occasionally to "clear its memory" and give it a fresh start.  I often find that it may run a little bit faster, too. 

Shutting your computer down occasionally also is VERY important if you have chosen to have updates installed during a shutdown. Frequent updates (primarily on a PC rather than an Apple product) help keep your computer safe from viruses and running well.

If you're unsure how to turn your computer off, let me know the Operating System (XP?, Vista?, Windows 7, 10?) and I can send you instructions as to how to do that.