Internet Safety
Erin Frink
Dangers of Meeting Online 'Friends'
Yes, there are legitimate cases where people do meet real people and they become god friends. While 75% of teens are willing to spill their personal information. 16% of those teens are willing to meet people they've only talked to online. There are also cases where you may think you are talking to someone your age they could be 6 times your age. You should never even think about meeting someone you've only spoken to online. The consequences could be deadly. We aren't looking for one less teen. Both of these instances happen to both male and females, it's not gender specific. Most people search for friends online because they are lonely and don't have friends in their town, so then they continue to grow close to someone who could be a 50 year old predator.
Hacking
Hacking can occur to anyone from 13 year old's to 67 year old's. Phishing targets are up to 77% in the United States. Never give your bank account information or passwords to anyone unless you can completely trust that person with your whole life savings. You don't have to give your information out if you believe it's not safe.
Gaming Online
You can game online with random people you've never met. You can talk to them with your voice or with a chat room, installed in the game. You can hear things or see things you wouldn't like your grandmother to see you listening or looking at. There's a way to block people from going on chat rooms. Always ask a parent to help with that.
Streaming
Most people use online streaming. From adults to little kindergartners. Most anybody can stream. There are many online sources to watch or listen to things online. To watch movies and t.v. you can use Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. Some other places to listen to music are Spotify, Pandora, and Youtube. There are always dangers of being online on anything. Even if there are restrictions. You can land on many things you'd rather not see or hear. Always talk to an adult if you feel like there's something you're worried about.