Often unmonitored, these can get into X rated discussions readily. Most chat lines degenerate into immature ramblings and will digust most adults; however, you can search and find some acceptable ones.
Pornography
With the ease of people creating their own sites and downloading pictures, movies, and other materials, this is always a possibility if students are left unchecked. Sometimes students will access adult material innocently by accident, as webmasters have discovered a few tricks to get around the censors.
You can have a Web service provider block sites you find objectionable, can configure Windows machines to block out adult sites, or can get software programs that block these sites. Solely relying on these blocking devices is foolish, however.
The only way to ensure that students do not engage adult material is by having plenty of meaningful Internet work for students, monitoring the computer lab, and holding the threat of banishment from the lab over the students' heads. Most students will not attempt to access inappropriate sites, but you will likely have one or two students in every class who will do so if given the liberty.
People
Just like in real life, the scariest thing about the Internet can be the people on the other end. The Phoenix paper recently reported on a girl who was raped after arranging to meet someone she met in a Chat Room. Have students follow basic common sense procedures to protect themselves.
- Remember that no communication over the Net is totally private and secure--like mailing a postcard to someone
- Never send forth threatening or obscene messages--Federal laws apply here just like they would in the Post Office
- Never give out your address and phone number in any open forums such as emailing listS and chat rooms
- Never agree to meet an unknown person in a private situation
- Report any email harrassment you experience--get their email address and write to their service provider