Online Safety for Teens Using Social Networking Sites

The online environment today is not only a place of information, but also of social interaction and individual expression. Online social networks, such as MySpace and Facebook, are the latest global Web trend. Sites such as these allow teens and others to build a community of people who they believe are like themselves. With the click of a mouse, you can instantly be in touch with other teens, from within the same city or from around the world. Social networking sites are the new hang out, and unlike malls and movie theaters, they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Unfortunately, with this type of freedom there are risks. One of the problems with social networking sites is they provide predators with all the information they need to find you and contact you in person. Predators and pedophiles can target someone your age simply by searching in a specified area or age group. If you have posted a photo of yourself, it will make it even easier for you to be identified and targeted. When chatting or IMing online with a stranger, there are no physical cues to alert you that this person is who they say they are.

Safety should be a key factor when using these sites. To protect yourself and others, consider the following tips:

• Keep your private information private. Don't include any identifying details or personal information in your profile such as your home address, phone number, or school.
• Let your passwords remain your secret. Don't give out your passwords to anyone, including friends.
• Use good judgment. Don't agree to meet someone in person that you have met online. They might not be who they say they are.
• Make your profile private. Some social networking sites now offer the option of letting you choose to make your profile private, so that only the friends within your network have access to it. If that option is offered, take it. But, remember, there may be ways around these blocks. Keep in mind that anything you post online is available to anyone.
• Don't keep intruders a secret. If someone sends you a threatening or suggestive message, block the person who sent it to you and tell an adult you trust immediately.
• Never mistake strangers as friends. Don't accept strangers as friends in an attempt to boost your numbers on your friend's list to appear more popular.
• Don't be a bully. Online bullying is very damaging to those being bullied and you wouldn't want it to happen to you.