This is a controversial subject and there are some key issues to bear in mind. There are sinister motives for some who want to get involved in chat rooms as they provide the opportunity to talk to children and cultivate friendships or relationships with them often over sustained periods of time. There are many reported cases so if you are a parent I am sure you are aware of them; if you are a child then always understand that people can hide behind a character in a chat room and if you are neither of these then I urge you to consider your motives. It is important to remember the dangers and be vigilant yet to realise that scare-mongering will not necessarily be useful: It is better to take a sensible approach. Never give out personal details; do not have private chats with people; tell your parents or a teacher if you come across anything suspicious or feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable; if you are a parent make sure you have parental settings on the computer and never agree to meet up with someone you meet online. Sites like Facebook and Bebo are useful as you need only add friends yet there is great scope for chatting and writing on peoples’ walls. There are some websites that combine chat rooms with fun games and activities in a virtual world for children or teenagers so the emphasis is not solely on chat. The ones people mention time and again are Club Penguin, Miniclip, Habbo, Toontown, Teenchat, Zwinky and KidsCom. See if any of these fit the bill, are the right age group and make sure your parents are happy that you use these sites before getting stuck in. And if you get bored, why not try Sporcle?
