Instant messaging has become very popular among all the social media outlets. In particular instant messaging has become a tool for children to use when communicating with their friends or ‘buddies’ as it is called in many messaging programs.
When reviewing your children’s activities online, make them aware of the number one rule about being online. That rule is to never give out your personal information online.
When your children are online, teach them that they really never know who they are talking too. There is a term that can be used for this and that is ‘Wizzywigs’. It simply means ‘What you see isn’t always what you get.’
Sometimes when you are chatting online through instant messaging (IM) you may come across someone that pretends to know you and wants to meet you offline. They say I’m a friend of a friend. They then start to ask a lot of questions like where does your team practice? Or what school do you go to? Or when is your birthday? Or where do you live?
Let me reiterate that you never give out your personal information like name, age, location.
They may also like to meet offline. Tell your kids when conversations lead to this line of questioning by an unknown sender they should immediately tell an adult they trust
Simply don’t meet offline.
Take a more active role in your child’s online activity and use these tips to help your children to be more safe while chatting online.
The Key To Your Better Future Is Left Up To You,
“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.” – Paul J Meyer.
