Instant Messaging
Be sure your child is safe
by Steve Adkisson
February 25, 2008
Instant messaging, IM in kid slang, is a popular way for today's youth to communicate online in REAL time. It can be a lot of fun for your child to "talk" to someone online. But they need to be careful and parents need to be aware of the dangers of IM. The website , www.isafe.org, has offered the following cautions for parents to discuss with their child that is allowed to IM:
- Be wise about strangers. When you are online you can talk to lots of different people. But that doesn't mean you know them! Check with your parents before adding anyone to your Buddy List. Parents, be sure to look at your child's Buddy List every week.
- Respect people's online rights. Just like offline - don't say mean things or make threats.
- Not secure. IM isn't secure. This means that anything you write in IM can be seen and read by anyone if they look hard enough. Best advice - guard your personal information and only say things you want anyone to read.
- Be responsible in IM. Overall remember to be smart and follow all the rules you've learned. The number one rule is: when in doubt, get an adult's help! They can help make sure you are safe and secure when using IM.
Screen Names - Selecting a good screen name is important in staying safe online. You want to make sure that the screen name you choose does not identify you or anything important about you. That way it can not be used by bullies or predators online to harm you.
The above information was taken from iSafe.org
