Top concerns for instant messaging
Instant messaging is a text-based communication tool that allows you to talk to family and friends in real-time. When you send someone a message it appears on his or her screen right away, so it’s just like you’re talking face-to-face.
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Instant messaging, AKA IM, is a great tool for chatting with friends, discussing homework with classmates and staying in touch with family. Plus, when setup properly you choose who is and who isn’t on your contact list — meaning you only talk to the people you want to.
Some people aren’t honest about who they really are online, so make sure your contact list only includes people you know in the real world.
If you don’t pay careful attention to your account preferences anyone can contact you and see your personal information. This makes it easy for you to get unwanted spam messages, be bullied or be contacted by strangers.
Don’t be afraid to BLOCK unwanted contacts and tell a trusted adult.
Creating a personal account with the right preferences, password and username can be tricky, so make sure you and your parents or trusted adult do it together. That way you can be sure your account preferences are set to put you in control.
Remember! Make your password something that isn’t easily guessed, and pick a username that doesn’t involve your whole name.
Get more tips on how you can make instant messaging safer for your kids
