Should You Let Your Child Use an Internet Chat Room?

Are you the parent of a child who has recently decided that they want to use internet chat rooms?  Or, are you a parent who has just learned that your child has been using internet chat rooms?  If you are, you may be unsure as to how you should proceed.  Yes, internet chat rooms are a great way to make new friends online, but they can be dangerous.  So, should you let your child use online chat online? When it comes to determining if your child is ready to use online chat rooms, it is best to examine the pros and cons of them.  For starters, there are chat rooms out there that are designed for children and teenagers.  By visiting these chat rooms, your child should be paired with their peers.  They may also be able to make new online friends and communicate with their friends from school easily online. Meeting new friends online and communicating with current friends over the internet, by way of internet india chat site, is nice.

  It, however, is also important to remember that there are dangers to doing so as well.  Aditionally, it is important to remember that anyone can get into a chat room.  Just because a chat room that your child uses is designed for kids between the ages of 8 and 15, it doesn’t mean that everyone in that chat room falls into that age range. As for why it is easy for an adult to get into a chat room and pretend to be a child it is because not all internet chat rooms are monitored.  With that said, you should be able to find a number of chat rooms for children and teens that are monitored.  This means that an adult will be there watching all conversations to make sure that they are appropriate.  Remember though that an adult pretending to be a child may be able to slide under the radar. As previously stated, an adult could easily pretend to be a child, enter a chat room for children, and target those in the room.  

This is easy for many internet predators to do because the internet makes it very simple for children to be targeted.  A whole new, false identity can be created and you and your child may never know until it is too late. Despite the fact that there are a number of cons or downsides to letting children and teenagers use internet chat rooms, many parents still let their children do so.  If you want to be one of those parents, that is fine, but be sure that both you and your child know the dangers that lurk.  Make sure they know not to give out personal information in a chat room because the person on the other end of the computer may not be who they say they are. Also, for your child’s protection, find internet chat rooms for them to use.  Even if your child knows that dangers lurk, they may still opt for the most popular chat rooms, even if they arenít very safe.  When searching for safe chat rooms for your child to use, start with a standard internet search.  Next, look for those that have staffed monitors, as well as those that do not have private messaging features. For added safety and security, have your computer in a well trafficked location.  This is likely to reduce the amount of time that they spend in a chat room, as they may feel like they are being watched.  You can also limit the use of chat rooms unless you are home or in the same room.  Of course, you can ban your child from visiting online chat rooms if you wish, as you do have the right to do so. As a reminder, be sure to talk to your child or teenager about the dangers of communicating with strangers on the internet.  Having online friends are nice, but make sure your child knows that they should stay just that “online”, friends. Children and Online Chat Rooms: The Dangers That Lurk   Are you the parent of a child or a teenager who wants to use internet chat rooms?  Or, is your child already using them?  If so, it is important that both you and your child know the dangers that often lurk around online chat rooms. For starters, it is important to know that the computer and internet makes it easy for someone to be anyone they want to.  In fact, an internet user can claim to be someone famous, a superhero, or another teenager.  There is nothing out there that can stop them.  If your child is using a chat room for teenagers or younger children, they need to know the dangers of exchanging personal information with strangers or “online friends”.  Because, anyone can be at the other end of the computer. Another common danger of using online chat rooms is the screen names.  Screen names are what is used to identity your child and differentiate them from other chat room users.  If you allow your child to use an online chat room, there is one internet safety step that must be taken.  Have your child create a separate screen name that will not be used elsewhere.  If they use part of their email address, a screen name that appears on other websites or online message boards, or part of their full name, a standard internet search could lead internet predators to your child’s real identity. It is also important to know that anyone can get into a chat room.  Unfortunately, this is an important internet safety fact that many parents do not realize.  Just because your teenager is in an online chat room that is designed for kids between the ages of 14 to 17, it doesnít mean that everyone is the same age in the room.  No age verification is required to get into most online chat rooms.  As it was previously stated, the internet makes it easy for anyone to create a false identity.  This false identity can be used to lure in your child and other young internet users.