3 Steps to Staying Safe & Responsible in Chat Rooms

The world of chat rooms is full of dangers and rewards.

So you should strive to be safe and responsible while chatting online.

But I know what you’re thinking…

This can have a ton of different meanings.

That’s why we’ve broken it down into 3 steps to staying safe and responsible in chat rooms.

1. Avoid sharing personal information

Stray away from talking about identifying details in chat rooms.

Which can include:

• First and last name
• Location or address
• Even random details like a school mascot!

But why should I care about someone on the internet knowing my identity?

Well, when chatting online you simply don’t know what kind of malicious people are on the other side.

So the only situation where it’s likely safe to share information is in the case where you know a partner is trustworthy.

2. Cautiously approach conversations

Discussing typical conversational details can even lead to revealing your identity.

Here are a few examples:

• Where you work
• Mutual friends
• Unique places to hang out

The internet is so full of information these days that with just a few hints it’s possible to find almost anyone.

And on top of that, be careful when sharing photos online!

Because this can easily expose other online profiles with a simple reverse image search.

Always use common sense when talking with people online by not discussing passwords, phone numbers or other obviously sensitive data.

3. Second-guess yourself when chatting

It’s understandable to think we’re coming across as overly-cautious.

But what if we told you, it’s also not guaranteed that the person you’re chatting with is who they say they are?

A scary truth to think about is:

On the internet, it’s almost never clear what the truth is. In fact, people online are typically not nice to deal with.

Double-check your privacy before sharing information because there’s a possibility you’re chatting with a predator!

When is it okay to trust someone in a chat room?

Deciding who is trustworthy online is an extremely debatable question.

But we’ll try to answer it to the best of our ability.

Generally, it’s a good idea to make sure you really know who you are dealing with before sharing any personal information. They should already be a close friend who you’ve known for a long period of time.

In the case that a story even sounds a little bit fishy…

Never put your confidence in them.

Who you trust is ultimately up to you when having a conversation online.