Webupon

At age 18, I was craving for positive role models to make an impact on my life. My life was spiraling out of control at an alarming rate, and I was turning to the Internet community for answers I never thought I’d find. At this age, I was going into chat rooms and giving out my personal information, agreeing to meet these individuals, and nobody in my family knew of my activities. I’m one of the people that left before getting hurt, and these are my words of caution to everyone who are in this position. These are lessons learned the hard way, and I hope you don’t ever have to repeat my mistakes.

First, keep all personal information private. This includes putting your first and last name in your screen name. Don’t ever give out your location, Social Security Number, or anything else that can be used to trace you to your front door. Things such as your phone number are information that only trusted individuals should have knowledge of only. If you’re going to go into a chat room, you can’t be naive or in denial. If you put all your personal information out to display to  the world, you will have people in pursuit of you.

Another helpful tip is to keep copies of all your chat conversations. This will come in really useful if someone you’ve been chatting with has decided to come find you without your knowledge, or in my case, cyberstalk you on line. Save all emails, conversations, voice mails–whatever they do, document it all. This is your evidence to use inside a court room, and it will help you plead your innocence. Furthermore, it may help them get a stronger sentence with the more evidence you have collected. Cyber laws are weak, so don’t take chances.

Next, don’t ever accept any downloads from someone you don’t trust in chat. This is especially a bad idea in email, but in chat rooms it’s more common. There could be viruses in these files, and these viruses will eventually eat your computer. You should get a good anti-virus program like Norton or McAfee, and this will stop any unwanted downloads you may happen to get from users. Also, avoid accepting video chat requests. The chatter may seem trustworthy, but you never know the true intention of their plan.

Fourth, if someone is harrassing you online, block them. Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by a stranger. Also, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself it they are being threatening and vulgar to you. You have a right to your own personal safety, and if this person shows up at your front door, then call the police. Chat rooms are a potentially dangerous place for lurkers, and children and teenagers don’t realize these dangers. It’s what got my life so off track, but I don’t live this lifestyle anymore.

Furthermore, keep this thought in mind. The individuals in the chat room can take on any personality that wish to have because they’re not having face-to-face conversations. If someone tells you they’re states away, in reality they could be only a few blocks away. They can lie about their age, job, and anything else they want in order to draw people into their game. Not everyone that chats is like this, but they are out there, and you have to be wary of them.

Finally, if you choose to meet this individual, then go with a group of people to a crowded, public place. Don’t meet them in their hotel room like I was doing at age 18. I was fortunate to get out in time, but many are not that lucky. Make sure you’re not alone with them, watch your drink, and be on guard at all times. They may not be trustworthy, and may convince you to get rid of your friends in order to be alone. If this happens, then get up and leave. Remember, your personal safety is the most valuable thing you can own.