What are "chatting" and "social networks”?

In Quebec, or elsewhere, teenagers love to send instant messages or “chat” (that’s what they’re doing when they’re on Windows Live Messenger), share information, photos, and videos on social networks sites (like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Skyblog, etc.) and romance each other over the Internet. These new spaces give young people a way to express their identities and share their thoughts, and that can definitely be a good thing, but they often forget that these sites may also represent threats.

Teenagers (and adults!) often give out personal information over the Internet without a second thought – information they would never give to a stranger on the street. They agree to meet with people they’ve only met online and they often fail to realize that employers search the Web, including Facebook pages, during the hiring process or afterwards.

What are the dangers of chatting and social networks?

You can’t always know who you’re really talking to on the Internet, so you risk running into unscrupulous people whose intentions run the gamut from inflicting harm to identity theft. And then there are the pedophiles – people who particularly target youth between the ages of 11 and 14 without a well-developed sense of self-preservation. It’s not hard to approach young people by asking sexual questions, suggesting sexual activities, or sending unsolicited pornography. And you never know how old the person behind the other computer is. They could just as easily be 43 as 14!

Information that gets on the Internet can easily fall into the wrong hands and remain there forever, even if you think you’ve erased it all. Friends sometimes send personal information with the best of intentions or save copies of things that you’d rather see disappear.

Fraudsters might steal the identity of a teenager who visits a chatroom, and this can lead to cyberbullying. They can even take control of a teen’s computer and webcam, and take pictures of them without anyone suspecting!

How can you chat and use social networking sites safely?

• Never agree to meet with a stranger or, at the very least, bring someone along and set up the meeting in a public place, during the day.
• Choose a neutral nickname (or screen name) that doesn’t suggest your age and that isn’t sexually suggestive.
• Never give out personal information during online conversations.
• Don’t reveal information about family or friends.
• Never display any personal information (such as your real name) in a social networking profile and restrict access to real friends.
• When posting information, it’s always a good idea to ask yourself how you’d feel if a future boss or your mom saw it!

For other advice and resources, visit the Protect Your Identity online site.