Why should I be worried?
BadScreenNames.com isn’t meant to be alarmist, but it is meant to educate parents on the real dangers that are on the Internet. Now more than ever before, the anonymity of the Internet has created a safe haven for predators to lurk and lure in unsuspecting victims. Check out our News section to get an idea of how common online predators are now.

But what can I do as a parent?
As with anything in life, keeping your children safe online means teaching them to be smart and responsible users. There are a number of safety guides available for minors using the Internet, focusing on the need for children not to give out personal information to strangers and to never agree to put themselves into a situation that risks their personal safety. Online predators tend to have a number of techniques for earning the trust of young Internet surfers, and will use tricks and deceit to lull them into revealing information about themselves and agreeing to meet secretly in person. See these articles for more information.

What other concrete steps can I take?
Be sure to keep track of the sites your children visit, and to remind them often to be careful about their personal information and who has access to it. Giving too much information for profiles on social networks, during online chats, or in message board posts can lead to strangers taking advantage of your children's trust, so be sure to tell them never to disclose information unnecessarily, and to never post personal information online that could be seen by unsavory Internet predators.

Your number one weapon: monitoring.
It is important to monitor what programs and sites your children are using and why, making certain that any chat programs are not giving out your child's information publicly or readily making their personal information available. If your child uses one of the many popular instant messaging or chat programs like Trillian, AOL Instant Messenger, Skype, MSN Messenger, or IRC, have them show you their account information so you can be sure everything is safe, and your children are protected. Monitor what chat forums they join, and always check with BadScreenNames.com to be sure that your child is not being misled by an Internet predator. There are software products on the market which claim to help parents filter and monitor their childrens’ activities, the most popular being Net Nanny. Combined with regular use of BadScreenNames.com, the Internet will become a safer place for your kids. Join today and start on the road to protecting your children.