Internet safety is vital today

This week on facebook, the facebook scare story was circulating again. You know, the one about the undercover police officer "stalking" the 13 year old softball player that was home alone every afternoon until 6:30. The child played softball on Thursdays for the Canton Cats, jersey #7. She posted her entire life on the web page facebook.

We got a similar scare at my house recently, and I thought how innocently and unaware we go about our business on the internet. This is happening everyday in so many households. We sat down and researched some safety guide-lines and thought we would share them with you. The internet can be a world of fun and give tons of resourceful information but can also be very dangerous if not used properly.

Here are some tips:

*Don't give out personal information about yourself, age, your family situation, your school, your telephone number, or your address on your website.

*If you become aware of the sharing, use, or viewing of child pornography on line, immediately report this to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

*When in chat rooms remember that not everyone may be who they say they are. For example a person who says "she" is a 14-year-old girl from New York may really be a 42-year-old man from California.1

*If someone harasses you online, says anything inappropriate, or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, contact your Internet service provider. But first tell your parents if someone online asks for your information or asks to meet with you. This does not make you immature or cowardly just very wise and cautious. One can never be to careful.

*Know that there are rules many Internet Service Providers (ISP) have about online behavior. If you disobey an ISP's rules, your ISP may penalize you by disabling your account, and sometimes every account in a household, either temporarily or permanently.

*NEVER ever share your passwords with anyone other than your parents. You may break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend or best friend tomorrow and then they have access to all your personal/private information.

*A friend you meet online may not be the best person to talk to if you are having problems at home, with your friends, or at school - remember the teenage "girl" from New York in Tip number three? If you can't find an adult in your school, church, club, or neighborhood to talk to, Covenant House is a good place to call at 1-800-999-9999. The people there provide counseling to kids, refer them to local shelters, help them with law enforcement, and can serve as mediators by calling their parents.

*If you are thinking about running away, a friend from online (remember the 14-year-old girl) may not be the best person to talk to. If there is no adult in your community you can find to talk to, call the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-621-4000. Although some of your online friends may seem to really listen to you, the Switchboard will be able to give you honest, useful answers to some of your questions about what to do when you are depressed, abused, or thinking about running away.

*Follow your parents' rules for using the Internet. They may seem "hard-core" or at times to strict but they are only trying to do what is best for you and protect you from the "predators" and unsafe that are lurking. Just be cautious and be safe and have fun.

*There are certain websites to visit that give more important information about

Internet safety and usage: www.getnetwese.org; www.netsmartz.org. www.safekids.com. www.teens.com.