Social networking websites allow users to make new friends, exchange information, and communicate through personalized web pages, blogs, chat rooms, e-mail, or instant messaging.

These websites encourage sharing of information. Members of the online social networking websites are required to enter details of their immediate and extended circles of family and friends. Besides this, the members may have to list other facets of their personality such as their choice of entertainment, media, political, sporting, and sexual preferences. This, of course, increases the chance of exposing oneself to those who have less-than-friendly intentions, including sexual predators.

So, though the social networking websites provide ways to keep in touch with friends, they can be risky if users are not cautious about the information they post online.

How can you avoid online adversities?

A few tips on avoiding unfortunate incidents on the Web:

• Evaluate the website before joining it. A few websites allow only a pre-defined community of users to access the posted information; others allow everyone to view the postings.

• Restrict access to your page; allow only a select group of people such as your friends, community group, or family to view your webpage.

• Post information that you would not mind others knowing.

• Never allow others to access your full name, address, phone number, bank account and credit card number.

• Be cautious about posting miscellaneous information such as the name of your school, sports team, clubs, and workplace. This data could be used to identify or locate you.

• Carefully select your screen name. Never use your name, age, or hometown as your screen name.

• Avoid posting your photo. It can be altered and broadcast in ways you may not appreciate.

• Once you post information online, you cannot take it back. Even if you delete the information from a website, older versions usually exist on other people’s computers.

	What are the risks?
Cyber Bullies
	FAQs and How to...
FAQs for Children