A chat room
is Internet areas where you can have live, real-time conversations
with many people at the same time. It is like a telephone
conference call - except that you type instead of talk. Everyone
can see what everyone else writes, but you can still be as
anonymous as you want.
Chat rooms are
one of the most interactive Internet areas, and a favorite
stop for children and young adults. There are different levels
of supervision in chat rooms: some are open environments with
no moderation (un-moderated chat rooms), while others have
leaders who moderate the discussion (moderated chat rooms).
Many moderated chat rooms are created for children, allowing
young people to communicate in a safe environment - preventing
people from interacting inappropriately with or manipulating
personal information from the children. Although it's not
common for inappropriate messages to be sent if a chat is
moderated, if there are any problems an email to the moderator
will usually take care of the offender immediately.
Other chat rooms have monitors who can assess what people
write before anyone else gets to see it; if people misbehave,
they can reprimand them or even kick them out.
What are the Benefits
of Chat Rooms?
Chat rooms can provide a wonderful opportunity
for you to:
. Talk to like-minded
people.
. Make new friends, and keep in touch with old ones, anywhere
in the world.
. Chat one-on-one with people they might not otherwise be
in touch with: teachers,
. Contact community leaders, or experts on topics that interest
you.
What are the Risks Associated
with Chat Rooms?
Chat rooms pose
the following potential threats:
. Discussions in chat rooms may sexual or violent in nature
or promote hateful attitudes or offensive activities.
. Chat rooms, more than any other place online, are traveling
grounds ill intentioned people trying to make contact with
young people. In the anonymous atmosphere of the Internet,
people may feel free to be honest, and conversations can quickly
become personal.
. Online relationships with strangers in chat rooms can lead
to you being cyber stalked, sent pornography, or even pressured
to arrange a real-world meeting with a stranger. This is very
rare; but it does happen, and the risk must be taken seriously.
. Young people may become involved in dangerous risk-taking
activities. Some older people deliberately participate in
chat rooms they find titillating. Children and young adults
may find themselves drawn to engaging in conversations, or
even flirting, with strangers they would not normally talk
to or associate with. They may feel they are in control, but
this can be a very risky activity.
. Chat room participants who do not follow online rules of
Netiquette can end up hurting others. "Flaming,"
the unrestrained expression of emotional or strongly worded
opinions, is common in chat rooms.
. You may be harassed. The anonymity of chat rooms can encourage
some people to harass others; girls, in particular, may encounter
verbal sexual harassment.
Mitigating Risks
Associated with Chat Rooms
. Don't tell
anyone where you live, go to school or work, or what your
phone number is.
. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable or is mean to you,
don't respond to him or her. Tell a person in authority and
discontinue the chatting immediately.
. Never send photographs of yourself or anything else to someone
you met on the Internet.
. Never arrange to meet someone in person you have met online.
. If you are a child or a teenager, "introduce"
friends you have met on-line to your parents or to a trusted
grown-up. If you use chat rooms, let a trusted grown-up "visit"
so they can meet your friends and know a little about what
you chat about.
. Use good manners when you talk with others. Be nice to people
you meet online.
. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.
. If you are a child or a teenager , tell your parents or
a trusted grown-up about everything you do online. Talk to
them about the kinds of things they do not like you to do
or look at on the computer.
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