Futuristic Chatrooms

There are so many benefits that chatrooms have to offer us. If there was a way to remove all of the perils of the chatroom in the future our entire society would benefit from it. In the future there may be a way that you would need to prove your identity before logging in. If this was possible there would be no way for people to lie about their age and gender. Chatrooms could also try to take control of the situations and when people want to meet they can arrange the meeting themselves. With the onset of globalization and the incorporation of cultural sensitivity, communicating with other people from many different backgrounds would allow us to embrace our differences and broaden our horizons; whether it be through a business transaction or a new friend. With globalization on the rise, we are all dependent on technology being the force behind it; for we need technology, specifically chatrooms, to globally connect us to one another, through news, politics, and world issues affecting us all in general. Through news, politics, and world issues, that affect us all, once the majority has a greater knowledge on a subject, they are able to make wiser and more effective decisions; take the political arena for instance. With a greater education and knowledge on the subject of politics and those that are running for president, citizens are able to make a better choice with their decision because of their knowledge from sources around the world; thanks to chatrooms.

Chat Safely!

There is no way to keep you 100% safe from predators on-line but there are many precautions that you can take when you are entering a chatroom. There are many signs that can help you decide if the chatroom you are in is reliable and is looking out for your well-being. When the home page of a chatroom is open there should be a link to a page of security tips with links to useful sites. On this homepage there should also be the goal of the chatroom and the approximate age target. The homepage should clearly state if the chatroom is moderated or not. A moderated chatroom means that there is a staff member who is always watching the general chatroom or can be contacted. The links to contact the moderator or to report something should be accessable from every page of the site. If registration is necessary always check the page to see if there is a reason for the information. If the chatroom doesn’t seem reliable they could be taking your information to use for spam.

Even when a chatroom follows all of the above points there are still many dangers, luckily, there are easy ways for everyone to protect himself or herself. The simplest thing to remember is to never give out personal information to anyone. When creating a display name for the chatroom make sure that it is not suggestive and doesn’t give any hints to your real name, gender, location, or age. When you are inside a chatroom and there are profiles involved never put up any personal information, identifying information, or pictures. These profiles are given so that you can find people with common interests, not so you can find out what someone looks like or contact them outside of the chatroom. If you are chatting to someone and there is a photo of them don’t believe that photo is actually of them. It is very easy to find a picture anywhere and claim that it is you. If unwanted comments or a private message is sent block the person immediately or log out. Never accept files or URLs from people in chatrooms, these could easily contain viruses or send you to websites that you have no interest in. Never meet someone in person who you originally met in the chatroom. If you do not follow this advice and do decide to meet someone in person make sure that you bring a trusted adult or friend and meet in a public place during the day.

If you are a parent of a child who uses a chatroom you don’t have to ban your child from using them. There are many ways you can keep an eye on your child’s activity. Keep your computer in an open area where you can easily see the computer screen. If you feel uncomfortable with the chatroom try logging onto it yourself and discover what it’s about, if it truly is inappropriate then look into some chatrooms that are meant for children that are heavily moderated. Have an open relationship with your child and explain to them that there are some “not so very nice” people on the Internet and that if they ever feel uncomfortable to come directly to you. If it is a serious situation you may need to report the activity to the police. If children, teenagers, and adults all work together we can all chat safe!

Dangers of the Chatroom

"Nearly one in five of American youths who surfed the net
 regularly were the targets of unwanted sexual attention".
According to a study published in the 
Journal of the American Medical Association


Unfortunately everyone needs to know the dangers of using a chatroom before logging in. There are many people out there that aren’t signing in just to talk to people with the same interests. Chatrooms are easy for everyone to access and therefore are an area that child predators use. You could be talking to a predator and think that they are a friendly person just like you. This is a key point when it comes to chatroom safety. You must understand that chatrooms aren’t like talking to your friends, you are talking to complete strangers. Even though it can feel like you know this person as well as your best friend you really don’t know anything. Many people don’t understand these risks and are led into situations that can actually kill them. Below are some statistics showing the dangers of chatrooms:
- 43% of people using chatrooms have been asked for telephone numbers, pictures, and addresses
- 46% of people have had unwanted sexual comments directed towards them by another person in a chatroom
- 43% of people 15 - 17 years old have been asked to meet someone they met online in person
- 12% of people who decide to meet an online friend in person have a bad experience
As you can see there are people online that have bad intentions. The online world can be a very scary place and we must use our wit. It is the same as real life, we must use our common sense when talking to people we don’t know.

Introduction

In today’s world technology makes it easier for us to communicate with friends, family, and strangers? Chat rooms can be a great way to communicate with other people from all over the globe who have the same interests, but not all these people are honest. Unfortunately it is these dishonest people that lead to the stories of sexual assault, stalking, and kidnappings. It is important that we understand the consequences of our actions online, just like in real life. Giving out personal information to someone you don’t know is extremely dangerous. But should all of these negatives discourage us from using chat rooms? This question is the purpose of this blog. Through each post I will use different resources and different topics inside internet safety such as precautions, situations, who to contact when you think you’re in a suspicious situation, and how together we can continue to communicate and be above on-line harrasment.