Are online chat rooms a good thing?

Internet technology has made it possible to chat with virtually any person anywhere in the world about anything. The first time I came across a chat room was when my computer savvy brother showed me what it was all about on his PC. Now this brother of mine loves to tell jokes and he finally found people (lots of people) to “listen” to his jokes in a chat room.

I suppose in that sense, online chat rooms can be a good thing. It would be fun to talk to others with similiar interests and hobbies. You won’t need to bore anyone else with your detailed description about your latest video game interest. You can talk with music lovers and sports enthusiasts and in the process get to know lots of other people with similiar interest.

That is the good part. However, the negative part is the use of chat rooms for cybersex or computer love. I think that children or teens should be coached and educated about the dangers of chat rooms in this aspect and parents should always monitor their children’s use of not just chat rooms but the internet on the whole. Watch out for signs like too much time on the pc, secretive behaviour like trying to hide the screen away or chatting in the wee hours of the morning. If they chat in chat rooms, make sure it is a well moderated one with strict rules.

So are online chat rooms a good thing? I’m not sure. I think it could be fun but one must be fully aware of the dangers too.