This will alarm you. Even when you take precautions with your privacy, some basic detective work in minutes can reveal private information that makes you or your children vulnerable to online predators.

Teresa, who did not realize the possible consequences of revealing her personal information online, is easily tracked by what she shares in a chatroom and instant message profile. Within minutes and just a few clicks of the mouse, important information about where she lives, what school she goes to, her schedule, and much more is available to anyone interested in knowing it.

Take a look at this video and find out just how easy it was.
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Today’s kids are taking to the Internet like never before. Teens, pre-teens, and younger are blogging, bookmarking, IM-ing (instant messaging) their friends at a feverish pace. They’re personalizing their MySpace, Friendster, FaceBook and other favorite social networking space with photos, videos and personal information that helps them express their own special uniqueness. Plus, these services encourage and continue to provide more and more different ways for young people to communicate with one another. Although this can be a great way for kids to express their emotions, it also makes our children vulnerable to the online predators that frequent these sites. (more…)