Family Chat Room Safety Tips

Chat rooms are digital lounges that allow numerous people to engage in large-scale group conversations. The second you submit a message, it is displayed to everybody logged into the room. Although chat rooms are a great source for alleviating loneliness and boredom, they do pose some serious risks to both children and adults alike. Therefore, when considering family safety, you should also be thinking about chat room safety as well.

There are a few things you need to understand before you allow your family to chat:

#1. Chat rooms can be used by anybody in the public.
#2. Anything said in a chat room can be read and copied by others.
#2. The identity of other users cannot be confirmed.
#3. Other users can request a private chat with you, or your children.

Next, let us discuss strategies that you can share with your family:

Don't List Personal Details

When signing up for a chat room service, select a screen name that doesn't indicate gender. A genderless screen name discourages criminals because they are uncertain as to whom they are speaking with. Furthermore, if you are asked to generate a profile, refrain from listing either your age or any other pertinent details about yourself.

Don't Post Pictures

Do not post pictures of yourself or your family in either an online profile or chat room. Why do people who you will never meet need to know what you look like?

Keep Your Business To Yourself

Do not reveal your job, daily activities, or school. Realize that criminals are especially skilled at tracking IP addresses. If a predator manages to track your general location, it will be easier for them to find and victimize you if they already know your daily routine.

Avoid Opening Links

Sometimes, a friend may send you a YouTube link to a music video or comedic sketch. That's all fine and dandy. But, avoid opening links handed to you by strangers. More than likely, you are being offered a direct link to either porn or a virus.

Never Give Out Your Phone Number

Do not, under any circumstance, give out your phone number. If you want to continue a chat room conversation in a more intimate setting, consider sharing your instant messenger screen name. Unless you have been speaking with someone for an extended period of time, and you have confirmed their identity, do not risk putting yourself in harm's way simply for a fun phone conversation.

Conclusion

I hope I did not scare you. Truthfully, the Internet can be a really fun and safe place to 'hang out.' But, just like in regular life, certain precautions must be taken. You wouldn't just go to a club and invite a random stranger home, would you? It is all about making safe decisions and living a safe life. So before your family enters the exciting world of chat rooms, please take some time to review safety with them. Remember, safety comes first.