Should You Let Your Child Use an Internet Chat Room?
 
Should You Let Your Child Use an Internet Chat Room?

Are you the parent of a child who has recently decided that they want to use internet chat rooms? Or, are you a parent who has just learned that your child has been using internet chat rooms? If you are, you may be unsure as to how you should proceed. Yes, internet chat rooms are a great way to make new friends online, but they can be dangerous. So, should you let your child use online chat rooms?

When it comes to determining if your child is ready to use online chat rooms, it is best to examine the pros and cons of them. For starters, there are chat rooms out there that are designed for children and teenagers. By visiting these chat rooms, your child should be paired with their peers. They may also be able to make new online friends and communicate with their friends from school easily online.

Meeting new friends online and communicating with current friends over the internet, by way of internet chat rooms, is nice. It, however, is also important to remember that there are dangers to doing so as well. For starters, it is important to remember that anyone can get into a chat room. Just because a chat room that your child uses is designed for kids between the ages of 8 and 15, it doesn't mean that everyone in that chat room falls into that age range.

As for why it is easy for an adult to get into a chat room and pretend to be a child it is because not all internet chat rooms are monitored. With that said, you should be able to find a number of chat rooms for children and teens that are monitored. This means that an adult will be there watching all conversations to make sure that they are appropriate. Remember though that an adult pretending to be a child may be able to slide under the radar.

As previously stated, an adult could easily pretend to be a child, enter a chat room for children, and target those in the room. This is easy for many internet predators to do because the internet makes it very simple for children to be targeted. A whole new, false identity can be created and you and your child may never know until it is too late.

Despite the fact that there are a number of cons or downsides to letting children and teenagers use internet chat rooms, many parents still let their children do so. If you want to be one of those parents, that is fine, but be sure that both you and your child know the dangers that lurk. Make sure they know not to give out personal information in a chat room because the person on the other end of the computer may not be who they say they are.

Also, for your child's protection, find internet chat rooms for them to use. Even if your child knows that dangers lurk, they may still opt for the most popular chat rooms, even if they aren't very safe. When searching for safe chat rooms for your child to use, start with a standard internet search. Next, look for those that have staffed monitors, as well as those that do not have private messaging features.

For added safety and security, have your computer in a well trafficked location. This is likely to reduce the amount of time that they spend in a chat room, as they may feel like they are being watched. You can also limit the use of chat rooms unless you are home or in the same room. Of course, you can ban your child from visiting online chat rooms if you wish, as you do have the right to do so.

As a reminder, be sure to talk to your child or teenager about the dangers of communicating with strangers on the internet. Having online friends are nice, but make sure your child knows that they should stay just that “online,” friends.

PPPPP

Word Count 671

Search
Recommended Resources
4 Signs That Your Teenager May Be In Trouble Online Are you a parent who has a teenager who uses ...
read more

5 Reasons Why the Internet Can Be Dangerous for Children and Teens Are you the parent of a child or ...
read more

Children and Online Chat Rooms: The Dangers That Lurk Are you the parent of a child or a teenager who ...
read more

Easy Ways to Stay Involved In Your Child's Internet Use Are you the parent of a child or a teenager ...
read more

Internet Safety for Kids: How and Why Parents Should Learn About the Internet Are you the parent of a child ...
read more

How to Discuss Internet Safety with Your Teen Are you the parent of a teenager who uses the internet? If ...
read more

How to Protect Your Child When Using the Internet Are you the parent of a child or a teen who ...
read more

How to Set Parental Controls with Internet Explorer Are you the parent of a child or a teen who uses ...
read more

Internet and Kids: How Young Is Too Young? Are you a parent? If you are, you may be curious as ...
read more

Internet Parental Controls: Why You Should Use Them Are you the parent of a teenager or a younger child who ...
read more

Internet Safety for Kids: How and Why Parents Should Learn About the Internet Are you the parent of a child ...
read more

Internet Safety for Kids: The Importance of Monitoring Your Child's MySpace Use If you are an avid internet user, there ...
read more

Internet Safety Rules to Establish with Your Children Are you the parent of a child who has recently started using ...
read more

Internet Safety Tools that Can Protect Your Child If you are the parent of a child or a teenager who ...
read more

Internet Safety: What to Do When Your Child Will Not Follow Your Rules Are you the parent of a child ...
read more

Is Your Child Ready for Their Own Email Account? Are you a parent? If you are, your child may be ...
read more

Internet Safety for Kids: Online Chat Rooms versus Online Message Boards Are you the parent of a teenager or a ...
read more

Parental Controls for the Internet: How to Use Them Are you a parent who has recently decided that you would ...
read more

Parents: What You Need to Know About Social Networking Websites Are you the parent of a teenager? If you are, ...
read more

Rules to Set for Online Message Boards and Chat Rooms Internet Safety for Kids: Rules to Set for Online Message ...
read more

Should You Let Your Child Post Pictures and Videos Online? Are you the parent of a child or a teenager ...
read more

Should You Let Your Child Use an Internet Chat Room? Are you the parent of a child who has recently ...
read more

The Importance of Discussing Internet Safety with Your Teen Are you a parent? If you are, have you already had ...
read more

Internet Safety for Kids: The Importance of Monitoring Your Child's MySpace Use If you are an avid internet user, there ...
read more

What to Do If Your Child Runs Into Trouble Online Are the parent of a child or teenager who uses ...
read more

Main Menu
Home
Sitemap


website monitoring
Articles
4 Signs That Your Teenager May Be In Trouble Online

5 Reasons Why the Internet Can Be Dangerous for Children and Teens

Children and Online Chat Rooms: The Dangers That Lurk

Easy Ways to Stay Involved In Your Child's Internet Use

Internet Safety for Kids: How and Why Parents Should Learn About the Internet

How to Discuss Internet Safety with Your Teen

How to Protect Your Child When Using the Internet

How to Set Parental Controls with Internet Explorer

Internet and Kids: How Young Is Too Young?

Internet Parental Controls: Why You Should Use Them

Internet Safety for Kids: How and Why Parents Should Learn About the Internet

Internet Safety for Kids: The Importance of Monitoring Your Child's MySpace Use

Internet Safety Rules to Establish with Your Children

Internet Safety Tools that Can Protect Your Child

Internet Safety: What to Do When Your Child Will Not Follow Your Rules

Is Your Child Ready for Their Own Email Account?

Internet Safety for Kids: Online Chat Rooms versus Online Message Boards

Parental Controls for the Internet: How to Use Them

Parents: What You Need to Know About Social Networking Websites

Rules to Set for Online Message Boards and Chat Rooms

Should You Let Your Child Post Pictures and Videos Online?

Should You Let Your Child Use an Internet Chat Room?

The Importance of Discussing Internet Safety with Your Teen

Internet Safety for Kids: The Importance of Monitoring Your Child's MySpace Use

What to Do If Your Child Runs Into Trouble Online

 

Disclaimer: The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this website, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet.

This site is a common sense guide to Should You Let Your Child Use an Internet Chat Room?. In practical advice websites, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.

This site is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field.

Any perceived slights of specific people or organizations are unintentional.

Home| Sitemap|Budget Hosting

7.my © All Rights Reserved.