|
Chat rooms and messaging can be great fun, but remember,
you never really know who you are talking to online. It could
be someone trying to trick you, some kind of weirdo, or someone
really dangerous. Here are some tips to help you keep safe:
- Never use your real name in chat rooms
– pick a special online nickname.
- Never ever tell anyone personal things about yourself
or your family – like your address or telephone
number, or the school or clubs you go to. That goes for
sending them photos as well (that way if you don’t
want to hear from them again, you only have to log off.)
Remember, even if somebody tells you about themselves; never
tell them things about you.
- If you arrange to meet up with someone you’ve only
spoken to online, remember that they might not
be who they said they were, so only
meet people in public places and take along an adult
– they should do this too, because they don’t
know who you really are either!
- If an adult you know makes arrangements to meet you or
contacts you directly on-line or on your mobile without
your parents’ or carers’ knowledge, make sure
you let your parents or guardians know about this before
agreeing to do anything
- Never respond to nasty or rude messages,
and never send any either! If you feel suspicious or uncomfortable
about the way a conversation is going, or if it’s
getting really personal, save a record of it and stop the
conversation. That way you can show someone and ask what
they think.
- Be careful with any e-mail attachments
or links that people send you, they might contain nasty
images, or computer "viruses" that could ruin
your PC. So if you don’t know who it’s from,
don’t open it.
- Agree some rules with your parents or
carers about what you can and can’t do on the Net.
It’ll save arguments later.
- Take a look at ‘Hands Off!’
the NSPCC magazine for teenagers on keeping safe from abuse.
It's got some tips on safe surfing.
- If you are concerned about anything you
receive, whether it is from a stranger or someone you know,
tell someone you trust. Don’t delete the message it
may be important if some action needs to be taken.
Reviewed Jan 08
|
