Chat Rooms

An open area online where you can chat with other people in real-time. Many chat rooms are established so that people can discuss a common interest like music or movies. Because chat rooms are set up based on common interests many predators go into chat rooms where they know children will be, and try to lure them into a private conversation area.

Examples:

Chat rooms can be found at any social networking site such as myspace.com, friendster, and facebook; however, chat rooms can also be found on web sites set up for that purpose. Online games frequently have chat rooms for players.

Stay Safe:

Talk to your child about how people on the Internet are not always who they seem to be. Help them pick user names that will not give away any personal information such as gender, age, or geographic location. Encourage them to talk to you about anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Here are some recommended rules from NetSmartz that can help you as parents keep your children safer in chat rooms:

• I will keep my identity private
• I will never respond to any online communication that makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I will never meet in person with anyone I have first “met” online without discussing it with my parents or guardian.
• I will respect other people’s rights while online.

Additional Information:

Know the Dangers - Chat rooms
Information and tips on how to stay safe in a chat room from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Chat
Ways to avoid problems in chat rooms by GetNetWise.org

Internet Survival Guide - Chat Rooms
A parents guide put out by CommonSenseMedia.org

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