Is Chatting wrong?

Question

My parents always tell me not to talk to people I don't know on the computer, but I don't have any REAL life friends becouse my parents don't let me go annywere. and I met two girls around my age (in our early teens) and I like them. we met on a fan website for a book. The person who made the website was the person who wrote the book. It is a teen book. And on the fan fictions page you can talk. and I met them and now we IM. I know it is a bad idea to meet your internet friends. and I don't give out personal information. The only things I give out are what City I live in, my age and my first name. Thats it.

I think I am being very safe. My parents don't know I'm talking to these girls


What do you think............ PLEASE HELP ME,......

Answer 1

Doesn't sound like a problem to me. Trust your gut-if they have trouble keeping their stories straight or start pressing you for personal information, cut all ties.

You should have real life friends, too. You don't even get to go to school? Join an extracurricular-that's a great breeding ground for friendships.

Answer 2

I think anyone without at least some social interaction one way or the other would inevitably go insane...think twisted stuff, start talking to themselves, doing things out of the ordinary even if they know they're a little bit losing it...

On the internet, you can know more people than you can ever meet in real life. Know people from another state, another country, halfway around the world..expanding the circle of friends. But there are the not so good people around too. And since you can't see them in any way but the screen and whoever they can say they are...

You are being safe. Good for you...

Parents can overreact and be overprotective...

Answer 3

City age and first name only are all good rules to follow.

I'll add this, get a 2nd email address at hotmail or mail.com or someplace to use in the future. Use it just for people you chat with, or meet here or places like it. That way if one of them gets all obsessive-stalker on you, you can just dump the whole mail account and give the rest of the people your NEW email address.

I've had to dump dozens of email addresses over the years. You might too.

But I think you're being very smart about it. Just don't give your school name, teacher's name, that sort of thing either, ok? Googling mr. jenkins science teacher woodrow wilson junior high could give someone your neighborhood for example.

(If you HAVE a mr jenkins teaching science and you DO go to woodrow wilson junior high let me know quick, so I can try and guess some lotto numbers.)

Answer 4

Not unusual, just a bad idea. This is especially important if you are sharing a Yahoo account or you arent computer savvy enough to cover your tracks. Its not unusual to want attention, especially if you arent getting any at home. And, yes you will find the waters teaming with sharks just waiting for a hapless first timer to stumble into to waters of such a chat room. They arent all losers, but most are. Evaluate why it is that you chose THAT chat room and not some other that would also describe you or fit your interests. That particular room probably wasnt the best choice to just chat.

Answer 5

I don't know what to think. I'm a 30 year old male, I have a niece that is almost 13. When I first set up her email address 5 years ago, I asked her to be very careful who she talks to. I told her that older men can pretend that they are young girls and then trick you out of information.
I read a police report once stating that a cop pretended to be a child, then read very carefully then was able to track a child down because she told him she was on a certain softball team. He went to her game, found out when she was alone at home and then followed her home. He didn't hurt the girl but did call her parents right then and there.
I think it'd be very easy to trick a child out of information. You have to be VERY VERY careful and remember that an adult can easily trick you because they are smarter and they have more experience. BE CAREFUL PLEASE!!!

You never want to tell someone you don't know what school you go to. Don't tell them if you are home alone. Don't tell them if you walk home by yourself. Don't tell them where your parents work. Also remember that freaks from the internet can keep records of your conversations and then study them Once they get you to trust them, they can easily find you or get you to meet them somewhere. Your parents are right when they worry for you.

Answer 6

Don't give out anything. Even with just your city and age and first name it's really easy for a pedophile to track you down. Besides you don't know if these "girls" you met on line are really old men who are just looking for a naive girl like you to rape and possible abduct. Listen to your parents and quit going into chat rooms. It's really easy for someone to make something up over the Internet. Your parents have your best interests at heart. They know what the world is like.

Answer 7

Hopefully these girls are really who they say they are, but the scary thing about the Internet is that you don't have to give out much info to be found. Think about the info you've given out (as little as it may seem)...your first name, your city, and your age. If I were a bad person hunting little girls...I could figure out what school you go to just by knowing your city and age. Once I know that, I could go to your school and start asking people where you are (pretending to be someone who knows you)....and if you have any pics on line, I wouldn't even have to ask.

Just be CAREFUL!!!

Answer 8

never give anyone your city state school name age team mascot and stuff like that out. your parents are right you shouldnt be talking to anyone on the web its very very dangerous. many girls have been kidnapped raped and killed like this by the way just cause those two people say they are your age doesnt mean they are.

i am 29 and learned the hard way that the internet isnt safe i met and was raped by a guy from the web

Answer 9

I think as long as you stick to JUST that information, you should be safe. Just no last name, no school name or anything of that nature. You never know when those supposed teen girls are actually 40 year old men just trying to find little teen girls. It's disgusting to think about, but it's unfortunately true.

Answer 10

I'd suggest you don't give your city, either, but otherwise, there's no immediate harm in just chatting. Keep in mind, though, that the odds are good that at least one or more of the "girls" is a 45 year old man and that many of them are very skilled at getting you to accidentally give out more information than you intended.