Chatting and Virtual Friendship

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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In 2016, the Center for Cyber Safety and Education conducted a Children's Internet Usage Study, which revealed that 40% of kids aged 4 to 8 chat online with strangers.

This percentage is almost half of the kids surveyed!

• Does that surprise you?
• Do you find it alarming?

Chatting With Strangers

The purpose of social media and the internet, in general, is to bring people together and provide access to a vast amount of helpful information to improve our lives.

However, the ability to access knowledge and people with a simple click also brings several disadvantages. If we do not adequately monitor our online usage, it can become a distraction more than a helpful tool. What we share online can also make us the target of online predators and scammers.

• So why do we spend so much time online chatting with strangers?

Talking with people we do not know often provides the freedom to speak without holding back or the fear of being judged. It can be easier to vent to a virtual friend.

It is important to remember, however, that while it is nice to have a friendly ear, you have no way of knowing who that person is. Not everyone you meet online is honest about who they are.

The following are a few reasons why chatting with a stranger online can be risky.

Catfishing is real.

Catfishing is when people pretend to be someone they are not to deceive others online.

Common lies include name, age, and gender. Catfishing is often a way to intentionally target victims to hurt or scam them for financial gain.

Scammers are crafty.

The internet is whole of financial scams.

Some play upon our desire to follow the rules, like a scammer pretending to be a governmental agency requiring a fee to be paid. Others tap into our desire to help, like a scammer asking for money to help pay a hospital bill.

Online predators may even pretend to be a real family member or friend needing financial support.

Identity thieves are waiting.

While a scammer will try to deceive you into giving away your money, an identity thief will use your private information to pretend to be you and apply for loans or credit cards.

Never post your private information online, like your date of birth, full name, or social security number.

Trolls are out there.

A troll posts embarrassing or hurtful things without identifying themselves. Remaining anonymous allows them to say or do whatever they wish without fear of being held accountable.

Sometimes, we can shrug these hurtful comments off, but consistent targeting by a troll can cause emotional and mental trauma.

Meeting up with a stranger.

No matter how old you are, this is the riskiest online behavior you can engage in!

No matter how great your online friendship may seem, you should always assume that an in-person meeting could be dangerous.

Never agree to meet somewhere private. It is best to meet in public and to bring someone you know along with you. It is better to be safe than sorry!

Online friends can be temporary.

Even if your online friend is honest and fun, there is no real-world connection to maintain the relationship.

As easy as it is to chat from the comfort of our home, it is just as easy to stop speaking suddenly with no real explanation. Once you and your friend log off, there is no guarantee you will ever talk again. You won't run into them at school or around the neighborhood.

Consider investing your time in cultivating relationships with friends you can also spend real time with.

Watch the video below to learn more.

Chatting with strangers online is generally okay if you know your limitations. You can talk about things that interest you and feel more at ease.

However, you should always avoid giving private information that could be used against you in one way or another.

Keep going in the Got It? section to show how much you've learned!