Instant Messaging Safety for Kids
Instant messaging is rapidly becoming the choice communication method. This is especially true for kids. It is important to make children aware of the dangers and safety measures that should be taken when going online to communicate with other people. In the same way parents and teachers teach children never to talk to strangers or give out personal information, children should be taught personal information on the Web can be just as dangerous.
Other People Are Reading
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Keep Personal Information Personal
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You wouldn't post copies of your birth certificate and home address all over town, so why would you do it online? Keep personal information on a need-to-know basis and keep it off of public profiles anyone could see. It can be dangerous for strangers to know your age and your address. Never use your real name or any real information in user names, passwords or public information. Never send any sort of personal information in an instant message. Instant messages are not encrypted in any way, so there is no protecting your text from other people who could intercept your message.
Don't Message Strangers
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Never reply to instant messages from someone you don't know. This is the same basic concept as talking to strangers in person. The person could easily claim to be a friend or someone from school in order to fool you into talking with them. A strange instant message could contain inappropriate messages, bad links or even files with viruses. Never provide any personal information to a stranger.
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Don't Click Strange Links
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Be careful when following links sent in instant messages. Even if the link is from a friend, you have no guarantee the link may not lead to something that could download a virus onto your computer. If the link is from a stranger, it could contain viruses or lead to inappropriate websites. It is always best to ignore instant messages from strangers by closing the instant message window without reading or clicking any links.
Only Real Friends
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Instant messaging is great for catching up and chatting with your friends. Make sure you only give your user name to people you know, and only accept messages or friend requests from people you know. It may be best to contact a friend by phone before accepting a friend request, just to be safe. Ask your friends to take the same precautions when accepting friend requests so everyone can be safe. Tell a trusted adult immediately if you feel you or a friend may have come in contact with a potentially dangerous stranger.
Responsible Profiles
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Remember a public profile is exactly that: public. This means anyone who goes looking can find and read all of the information you post to the profile. Remember that your personal information is personal by keeping sensitive information off of the Internet. Things like your real name, your birth date, your address, your account password and any other passwords should never be displayed anywhere others can see. Also, keep in mind messages you post in status updates can be read by many people, so be careful about what you choose to say.
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