Safe Online Talk

Post date: Apr 5, 2017 4:02:30 PM

How might the rule, "Don't Talk to Strangers" change when we communicate online? The Internet gives students a wide range of opportunities to connect with or learn from people who may not be in their circle of close friends — whether through games, social network sites, blogs, instant messaging, forums, and so on. Connecting with people online occasionally can have its pitfalls. Therefore, it is important to know how to deal with inappropriate situations if they arise.Click the Take Three Student Handout and Open it in DocHub, watch the video of three teens sharing their experiences about connecting with people online. You should pay attention to the opportunities and the pitfalls that each of the three teens mentions in the film. Perspective on Chatting Safely Online. Which story do you feel most connected to? Why? What advice did the teens share in the video? Would you add any advice of your own? Renee talks about getting a “gut feeling” when she felt something was “off” online. What does that feel like? In which situations have you had that kind of gut feeling?

What’s Risky?

Randy and Aseal use the word harass in the video to describe awkward or annoying interactions with strangers online. For example, Aseal says he was harassed when during a game someone he didn’t know said some mean things about him. Online flirting can sometimes be a less obvious form of harassment. How would you handle someone walking up to you on the street and making crude or sexual comments? Online, the offender may feel they are immune to your retaliation. How would you handle someone trying to flirt with you on the street? Again, when dealing with online interactions, the offender may feel they are immune.The same kinds of situations can happen when they are online. Sometimes it’s obvious that what a person is saying online is wrong and even harmful. Other times people may flirt online, and such warning signs are not always so obvious. Flirting is normal for middle school kids. When flirting is done face to face, it might feel comfortable. However, it quickly can become uncomfortable online, even when it’s with other people that they may know. This is because people sometimes say things online to one another that they might not say if they were face to face. When talking online with people they don’t know in person, flirting and another sexual talk is risky behavior. There are times when flirting can lead to an ongoing relationship with a stranger that seems deep and personal. But this is tricky because some people online don’t actually have teens’ best interests in mind. The other person might have lied or omitted key information that a face to face meeting would clearly show. If the person they’re communicating with online says anything inappropriate or sexual, and especially if that person is older than they are, students should stop talking right away and then tell a friend or trusted adult about it.

Download your own copy of Internet Traffic Light to your DocHub. With the people at your table, each of you completes the worksheet and hand it in.