Teenage Chat Rooms

Teenage chat rooms are fun and a great way to meet other teens just like you. Look over some of the chat site picks here, and learn how to have fun without sacrificing your safety.

Where To Go for Fun Teen Chat

A chat room is a public forum where many different people can chat together at the same time. At their core, teenage chat rooms are basically web pages set up for instant comments. Imagine a virtual party rather than a one-on-one conversation. There are chat rooms out there that are centered around nearly every particular interest, like soccer or makeup. Another great way to find a good teenage chat room is to ask around. If friends and schoolmates are using a particular chat room, this can be a great place to start.

The following is a list of chat rooms to try:

The InSite - This great site for teens features chat rooms and loads of other information. The site focuses on a variety of teen issues with an overall theme of positive energy and inspiration. In addition to teen forums, articles, and discussions, the site also offers a parents' forum.
KidsCom.com - This site is designed for kids and teens, and it offers a variety of chats and discussions. KidsCom also features weekly question discussions and has staff-monitored chat rooms.
KidsTurnCentral - This kids' website for the younger set is focused on kids under the age of 16. These chat rooms provide stringent rules and monitoring of chatting activity. For those new to chat rooms, they even provide some self-help articles.
Chatamp - If you're looking for a lot of chatting diversity and want to meet people from lots of different backgrounds, this site is a good pick. It's also a great place to go if you're interested in role play games.
CyberTeens - This site is dedicated to helping creative teens connect with each other. If you love making art or music, this is the chatting site for you.
TeenChatStorm - If you love chatting but also want to connect to other teens through games and private messaging ability, this site could be a great option for you. There are several free chat rooms for teens.
TeenChat - This site is dedicated to providing a safe chatting environment for teens and older kids. The chat rooms are moderated by adults.

Staying Safe Online

When it comes to teenage chat rooms, safety is of the utmost importance. Many chat rooms are adult-oriented and unmonitored. It can be hard to find PG-rated chat rooms. Teenage chat rooms are popular clubhouses for youth, which unfortunately attract many predators. Just because you have to beware of predators on the Internet doesn't mean you can't ever communicate online with others your age; you just have to be safe about it.

Keep These Safety Tips in Mind

Communicating with a large group at one time is much safer than starting private messages with someone.
It is always best to lurk first and read all the rules and policies before joining the discussions.
Don't ever pretend to be someone else. Although the Internet might feel safe, pretending to be someone else can actually get teens in a lot of trouble. Avoid the temptation. Bear in mind that others aren't always who they say they are either. Predators sometimes pretend to be other kids.
Never give out private information in any chat room. If you are chatting about a favorite hang out, it might lure predators there.
Choose a screen name carefully. Avoid using a screen name that is identifying or that determines gender.
Don't start wars! The fastest way to get banned from a chat room is to start an argument with chatters.
Watch out for membership applications. Some teenage chat rooms are just coverups for scams. Avoid giving out private information in membership applications, and never give a social security number or credit card information to a random website.
Private chat rooms do not exist. Even if a chat room is labeled as private, it's never completely private.
Use teenage chat rooms in a public place, like on the family computer in the living room. It may seem like a privacy invasion, but the chat is much more likely to be safe. If the chat centers around something parents shouldn't see, it is a sure sign that the conversation is too risky.

What Are Cyber Bullies?...And What to Do About Them

It's important to be aware of cyber bullies while chatting. A bully may be an acquaintance from school, your neighborhood or someone you have never met before. A cyber bully is a person that enjoys saying hurtful things or threatening people under the "protection" of the Internet. They say things online that they wouldn't have the courage to say to someone face to face.

If you find yourself being threatened or bullied while online, the answer is very simple. Walk away from the fight by exiting a chat room. There is nothing keeping you on the chat site. The bully only has power over you as long as you let them. If you keep the fight going by answering them or trying to defend yourself, it only gives them a reason to keep up the abuse. Don't be a victim; ignore the abuser. You can also report teenage chat room abuse and bullying to the moderators of the site.

Research a Site Before Downloading

Make sure you look around the site and search online to see if the website you are about to download from is legitimate. You don't want to accept a virus program for automatic installation on your computer. When the popup box comes up with the name of the file, try to search for that file on a search engine such as Yahoo! or Google. Alternatively, you can specifically search for the site's name and see if anyone has posted information about its legitimacy.

Chat Rooms Are a Useful Tool

Chat rooms can be a very useful tool for teenagers, if used in the right manner. If teens follows all the safety rules, especially when dealing with strangers, chatting can be a positive experience. Teens can make new friends, as well strengthen bonds with their existing friends.