Chat Rooms
Chat rooms are places online where groups of people can carry on a conversation, and they're the hardest of the communication tools to manage.
On the plus side, they can be great communities for sharing information about a common passion.
Kids can access chat rooms through a number of sites and portals. Most tend to be theme based. Some chat rooms are moderated, but some aren't. You should definitely ask your kids if they visit chat rooms, and no kids under 14 should venture in without you.
Because of the truly anonymous nature of chat rooms, all manner of creeps can lurk there pretending to be just another interested party. Chat rooms are probably the most dangerous part of the Internet because of the ease of contact and because they're often organized around titillating subjects — like sex or cults or dangerous physical acts that attract dangerous people. Under no circumstances should a child ever reveal any personal information about their real names, addresses (email or snail mail), schools, or telephone numbers in a chat room.
Common Sense Tips for Communicating:
- Never reveal personal information. No real names, birth dates, phone numbers, addresses, or anything identifiable in profiles or blogs. Screen names should be gender neutral.
Explain the dangers: 1 out of every 5 kids gets sexually solicited online. - Never meet a stranger. Ever. No talking, no meeting, no way. Make sure your kids know that if someone contacts them, attempts to meet them, or tries turn them against you or their teachers, that these are alerts, and they should tell you right away.
- Establish codes of conduct. If your kids wouldn't say something to someone's face, then they shouldn't put it in an IM or email. That means no cyber bullying. Emailing an embarrassing picture of someone is a form of cyber bullying!
- Be careful with passwords. That means no password sharing. Sharing a password with a friend is like sharing a germ — it doesn't spread anything good. Ask your kids for their passwords. The older ones may not want to give them to you (citing privacy — that's up to you), but for middle schoolers and younger, it's AOK for you to be able to check for inappropriate or dangerous communications.
- Set limits on time and use. For younger kids, have the computer in a central place. Draw clear boundaries: Whether it's no IM during homework or no email behind closed doors, make rules. Preferably before the computer turns on.
