How Do I Use Yahoo Chat Rooms?

1. Do not divulge personal information on Yahoo chat rooms:

People need to exercise good common sense when using Yahoo chat rooms, or any other chat rooms on the web for that matter. Chat rooms are not private conversations, so just remember everything you type can and will be seen by anyone using the room. This may seem like common sense, but many people seem to forget this every day. A few years ago I remember watching a news segment where a woman had been duped into giving out personal information and sending money to a man she had never met, so be very careful when using the Internet. The first red flag you should notice when using a chat room is if someone is asking you for money. This economy is truly bad right now and many people need a helping hand, but a chat room is not the place where they should be looking for assistance. If anyone asks you for personal information just as: your checking account number, social security number, credit card numbers, email passwords, personal records, or asks you to send them money, please do not do give out this information. These chat room users are usually con artists, and you should block and report any one asking for personal information.

2. Chat rooms are not the best place to meet potential "dates":

Online you will also find predators that try to meet people for nefarious reasons, so you want to steer clear of these types too. It is not easy to tell who has bad intentions online because people can lie about who they really are when using a chat room. A man can pretend to be a woman or vice versa, so do not believe everything that is typed into a chat room. Some people do view chatting as a way to meet new dates, but I would not suggest using Yahoo chat rooms or any other chat rooms this way. If you meet a local person and want to chat and get to know them a little bit more, by all means keep talking. However, be very wary about meeting anyone you chat with online. Also, if you ever do meet someone from a chat room make sure to do so in a public place, and let a friend know where you are going.

3. Explore chat rooms about your personal interests and hobbies:

The majority of people who congregate on chat rooms are looking to meet people that share common interests, and there are many chat rooms devoted to special hobbies, bands, and other topics. Check out chat rooms about your favorite sports or hobbies to meet other like minded chatters. However, do not give out personal information to these people just because a hobby or sports chat room may seem low key. In my experience the general chats tend to have more people that are fishing to meet others for various not so straight forward reasons, but some of these chatters also hang out on the more specialized chat rooms.

People under the age of 18 are not allowed to use Yahoo chat rooms. Ideally people under the age of eighteen should not be on any chat room, but it is up to parents to monitor what their children are doing online. Put your computer in a family room and keep a tab on your children's online activity. Predators have been known to lurk on Yahoo chat rooms, as seen by the NBC program To Catch A Predator, which showed how adults often mercilessly prey upon unsuspecting children. People under eighteen should not lie about their age just to gain access to these chats. Other services such as here on Hubpages also requires that all users be over the age of eighteen, so always read the TOS of online programs that you are signing up for. Ultimately it is up to parents to keep track of what their children that under eighteen are doing online, but teens must also take some responsibility as well.

If you are under eighteen and have been using Yahoo chat rooms in the past you need to discontinue to do so right away. Parents need to keep an eye on their kids, but teens also need to be honest with their parents about their online activities. Yahoo's chat room policies are in place to protect minors and not to deprive you of fun. A good alternative for teens is to talk to friends on Facebook or other age appropriate chat rooms that are closely monitored. Be safe and do not give out personal information to people you do not know.

Here is a pretend chat scenario where a chatter has to use safety tips.

John: asl? My name is John and I am a twenty-one year old guy from Georgia.

Mary: I am a twenty-five year old woman from Georgia, too. What a small world!

John: So what town do you live in?

Mary: I live near Atlanta.

John: Where do you live exactly? We should totally get together for coffee sometime.

Now Mary has just broke-up with her boyfriend and feels tempted to meet John for coffee, but how does she know he is safe? How does she even know he lives in Georgia or is who he says he is? John could just be throwing some generalizations out there to see what information Mary gives him. At this juncture Mary steps back and realized John is taking things really fast, so she decides to step on the breaks.

Mary: Well maybe after we get to know each other better we can meet, but right now I am really just looking to meet some new online friends.

John: That is cool, so do you like sports?

By stepping on the breaks and not giving out a large amount of personal information, and waiting to meet someone you talk to online you can access the situaiton. Does this person act the same way every time you chat with them? Do they ever seem moody? It is hard to tell when you chat with someone online, but if you intend to meet someone take it slow! First start with emails so you can access out they interact with you outside of a chat room. As you feel comfortable work up to talking to each other on the phone, but give out a cell number so your potential date cannot call you incessantly at home.

As time goes by talk to your potential date and see if you even want to meet him or her. If you decide to meet someone from the Internet, do so in a public place and let a friend know where you are going. It is perfectly okay and never risky to decide you do not want to meet someone off the Internet. Some people say one is missing out if you do not engage of the world of online dating, but as someone who has had a few not so stellar blind dates with people I met online, I say it is perfectly okay just to use the Internet for finding new online buddies. You definitely are not obligated to tell these online buddies everything about your life, and it is actually prudent to keep conversations on more general topics. Have fun meeting people online, and always play it safe!