Things to Know About Posting On the Internet

Dear young people:

Lately there have been a lot of predators online trying to lure young people, such as ourselves, to do unlawful things. Therefore, I’ve decided to create a blog explaining the precautions that you need to take on sites such as MySpace and facebook. The first thing you need to know is how to keep personal information to yourself (by not posting it on the internet). Posting personal information, such as, your full name, your birth date, and where you live can be fatal to your safety on the internet. An internet predator can easily track you down just by finding out those three little things. This is why you should take precautions when posting personal information on the internet. Remember anyone and everyone can see it!!!

Secondly, you should know how to be aware of sexual predators on the internet. Usually, a sexual predator might lure you in by asking things, such as where you live, or to meet him/her somewhere without parental supervision. Do not fall for this! If you encounter, or have encountered, a situation such as this you should tell a parent right away and have your parent contact the proper authorities. Even though it may seem as though it’s not a big deal, report it, because the slightest things could help catch a sexual predator.

Thirdly, do not post pictures of yourself or others on the computer that you wouldn’t want everyone to see. Your identity could also be stolen by a predator to seduce or trick people you know into thinking that it’s you. This is very dangerous and could end in a bad situation if you are not careful! Therefore, you should take precautions like having a privacy lock so certain information or pictures are not available to the public. This will prevent bad situations from occurring.

Next, your parents should always know what you are doing online. This is so they can decide what they think you should be allowed to be on and what you cannot. This would also prevent you from going on to sites that are filled with predators, so that you will be protected while online. And to prevent sites that they do not approve of being accessed, they could add parental controls.

Also, never give out any of your parent’s credit card information to a company that is advertising their products on MySpace or Facebook. So make sure to ask your parents permission before giving out any of their personal information. If this information is given out to the wrong person, then you and your family’s finances could be in trouble!

Lastly, you should know not to respond to pedophiles and online predators. To ignore online predators and pedophiles just simply say “no thank you,” or ignore them if they try to contact you. If this does not work, tell a parent so that your parent can file a report. This should stop the predator from coming after you any longer. If this does not work, then you should contact the police.

Sincerely,
Danielle H.