A chat room is an Internet environment where you can have

A chat room is an Internet environment where you can have several conversations with other people from around the world at the same time. There are different kinds of chat rooms such as IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and web page chat rooms. Most of them are used for entertainment purposes only and have cartoon characters that are used to identify frequent users. In monitored chat rooms, programmes either search conversations for bad language or administrators read texts before they are shown online. Consequently, those who misbehave are warned or kicked out!
In todays world, over half of teens visit chat rooms. They feel they can talk to others in the virtual world without being judged by their looks or popularity. Unfortunately, some discuss their problems online when, in the real world, they would never ask a stranger for advice! What is more, the same technology that lets teens express themselves also attracts online predators Online predators are Internet users who use the Internet to have access to children and teenagers.

Being Smart!
Teens who chat online should remember not to give out personal information, to use a nickname that does not reveal their sex and not to respond to private messages. They should also be careful of users who ask too many questions even if the questions seem innocent. These questions may be asked to trick teens into revealing where they live or go to school. In addition, teens must remember that they are in control and can stop a conversation at anytime, especially if they begin to feel uncomfortable or are suspicious.
Teens should avoid meeting online users. However, if they do decide to meet an online user, they should tell their parents beforehand and make sure the meeting is in a public place and under adult supervision

Doing a Little Detective Work!
If a teen is under threat from an online predator, the police can find the quot;IP addressquot; of the predators computer and track him down An IP address is a unique identifying number that every computer connected to the Internet has. It acts just like a car licence plate and a telephone number: it shows ownership and enables authorities to protect peoples safety if needed.

1. Read the text. Mark the statements as T (true), F (false) or DS (doesnt say).
1 There are chat rooms for different age groups. DS
2 Teens visiting chat rooms should give specific details about themselves. F
3 Teens should be with adults whenever they meet online users in person. T
4 An IP address is a special number that every computer connected to the Internet has. T