Teens Safety tips when interacting with people online

With advancement in technology, it is easier to establish new relationships and friendships with different people in various parts of the globe via the internet. However, there are many stories that involve teenagers being enticed through the internet into very compromising situations by sex traffickers and pedophiles. Unfortunately, such kind of stories aren’t mere urban legends since they are really happening thus posing the internet savvy teenagers at great risks.

The rising popularity of the meet & greet sites within the past years is increasing the dangers of teenagers falling victim to online predators. If you are teen and you wish to stay safe when it comes to meeting new people online, there are some things that you should do and others that shouldn’t dare do. In this article, we will have a look at both the things that you should do and those you shouldn’t for your own safety.

What can you do?

• You can report any negative or offensive online posts or comments to the support team of the website you’re using or to your guardians/ parents. There’re a few online bullies that enjoying teenagers that are online. You should therefore ensure that you report the bullies in case that ever happens while you’re online so that they are stopped.
• You should also ensure that you keep your private and personal details private. Don’t give out identifiable information or social security numbers via the internet. This is simply because some can utilize that information to take your identity.
• Another thing that you should bear in mind is the fact that you should keep the passwords of various sites in a secure and safe location. You would really be disappointed if your weird school friend or your irritating little sibling hacks into your online account and starts to message other people. This is why we recommend that you privately keep all passwords in a secure and safe location that you’re the only one aware of.
• Be genuine when online. You should not try to hide your identity behind that of another person when online since nobody is fond of people who fake identity. Therefore, if you decide to turn to the online dating sites, ensure that you’re yourself. This will make the people interacting with you appreciate you even more.

What you should not do?

• You should not give out the real address, date of birth, location and name to anybody that you’ve met online. That individual may be a criminal portraying as another person, so they do not have to know your personal information.
• Don’t meet the online ‘friends’ alone. When you finally opt to meet a person you met via the internet in person, ensure that you do so in a place that is very public like a mall and you are accompanied by a friend.
• Don’t send money to any person that you’ve met via the internet. There are many scam artists on the internet with enticing tricks so as to exploit teenagers. Don’t be their victim by giving them the routing number of your bank accounts or any other information that is related to your finances since your accounts may be hacked.
• Don’t accept the friend requests of individuals that you don’t have any connection with.
• Don’t send the sext pictures or engage in uncensored sex talks via the internet. Some of the online users may attempt to engage you in adult uncensored language involving sexual profanity and curse words. You should therefore avoid engaging in such talks. The same case should also be applied to the pictures that you post or send online.