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A Dangerous Chat
Authors Note!
This is a fictional story, but deals with a real life problem teens are facing; Chat room predators. I'm not saying to ban children from chat, but make sure that they personally know who their talking to; that it's one of their school friends or relatives. We may not take the problem seriously, but this story explains some problems faced by us teens. Dear Parents and Children, I hope you find this story helpful for the protection and common sense kids need.
October 19th-
I'm worried about my friend. Lately she's been talking to more and more people online. Sure, she talks to me and my friends a lot, but what about all the people that she doesn't know. We've heard stories about the girls that went missing, but I don?t think she?s taking it seriously. I'm not saying that she should be unsocial, but why should she confide in people she doesn't know?
October 20th-
I asked my friend today why she talks to so many strangers online. She just shrugged and says that she only talks to them about movies and games that they like. She also said that they were all her age, so why did it matter? I asked her if she had ever them; she said she hadn't, but that she had seen pictures of them. That got me to think; what if they had taken the pictures off of someone family site, or something? I didn?t mention that to her, but it did continue to bother me.
October 22nd-
I'm getting really worried about her. She seemed really happy when she came to school today. When I asked her why, she said that one of her online friends lived in our community. I just shrugged and said "so what?". Then, in this excited voice, she said:
'My friend and I are going to meet him here at the school on Halloween!'
That's when I got worried. I've met her friend before -he is a nice guy, but I was worried about them going without an adult. She showed me a supposed picture of him, a brunette boy in his early teens. She let me keep the picture. More later, homework time...
October 23rd-
I couldn't write yesterday because I was loaded with homework. The teachers at school aren?t cutting us any slack, but I don't mind. It keeps me from thinking about my friend. She avoided me today because of what I said yesterday. When she was going on and on about the guy she was supposed to meet, I just told her that she shouldn?t go. She looked at me funny. This is how the conservation went:
'Why not?'
'I don't think it's safe. The guy could have gotten that picture from anywhere'
'Don't be stupid! That was only a copy I gave you! I have the original at home!'
'Wait. You gave him your address!?'
'He mailed me the photo! It's not like he came over! Anyway, you're just being stuffy'
'But at least I'm being safe!'
'Your overreacting-'
'Am not! It's common sense not to give strangers your address! Remember yesterday when the teacher told us that another girl went missing!'
'They didn't have proof!'
'He could have taken a picture of someone else!'
At that point, she just stormed off, saying that I didn?t know anything. More later?
October 25th-
Had to complete a project, so I couldn't write. Nothing much has happened; my friend is still ignoring me, though she sits at our table because everyone else is there. It was awkward when I tried to join the conversation, so I started goofing off with the boys. It was funny watching them have a milk chugging contest, so I didn't here my name come up.
One of the girls told me that my friend thinks that I treat life as if it were a bubble, set to pop at any moment. Luckily, the girls don't like talking behind people's backs and managed to get her off the topic. I don't she why she has to talk about me like that, though after hearing it, it does seem like I live that way.
October 30th-
Been way to busy to write lately, but I'll take a break on homework now. My friend hasn't spoken to me lately, so there isn't much to say. She has talked about me behind my back, but the girls defend me when they can or else change the subject. This is what they say she's said about me:
'She wears the worst clothes. What is she? Fashionably challenged?'
'Her hair is so ratty. She needs to wear a wig!'
'She's an idiot and has no sense of adventure.'
'She sucks.'
There have been a number of ones that I won't mention here, and it hurts that she could say this about me.
I made up my mind yesterday what I'm going to do. I'm-
November 1st-
My last entry was cut short because I was called downstairs to dinner. But the reason that I didn't continue where I left off was because of an important errand I had to make. That is why she now hates me, because after dinner, I called her house and told her parents about the meeting.
She's banned from leaving the house without permission now and has lost all of her Internet access, and that is why she hates me. She called me and told me that I ruined her life, but after I read the daily community paper this morning, I think she'll forgive me. There at the bottom of the front page, was a missing persons ad. Her friend hasn't come home after people saw him leave his house and head in the direction of the school.
Now, my only hope is that he will be found and brought home safely, and that one day, my friend will forgive me.
I treat life as though it were a bubble, set to pop at any time. Now I realize that for some people who are not careful, it pop at any time. You've only got one life, make sure you do the right things, cause no matter what, it will always effect someone around you. Good or bad...
End
Authors Note!
This is a fictional story, but deals with a real life problem teens are facing; Chat room predators. I'm not saying to ban children from chat, but make sure that they personally know who their talking to; that it's one of their school friends or relatives. We may not take the problem seriously, but this story explains some problems faced by us teens. Dear Parents and Children, I hope you find this story helpful for the protection and common sense kids need.
October 19th-
I'm worried about my friend. Lately she's been talking to more and more people online. Sure, she talks to me and my friends a lot, but what about all the people that she doesn't know. We've heard stories about the girls that went missing, but I don?t think she?s taking it seriously. I'm not saying that she should be unsocial, but why should she confide in people she doesn't know?
October 20th-
I asked my friend today why she talks to so many strangers online. She just shrugged and says that she only talks to them about movies and games that they like. She also said that they were all her age, so why did it matter? I asked her if she had ever them; she said she hadn't, but that she had seen pictures of them. That got me to think; what if they had taken the pictures off of someone family site, or something? I didn?t mention that to her, but it did continue to bother me.
October 22nd-
I'm getting really worried about her. She seemed really happy when she came to school today. When I asked her why, she said that one of her online friends lived in our community. I just shrugged and said "so what?". Then, in this excited voice, she said:
'My friend and I are going to meet him here at the school on Halloween!'
That's when I got worried. I've met her friend before -he is a nice guy, but I was worried about them going without an adult. She showed me a supposed picture of him, a brunette boy in his early teens. She let me keep the picture. More later, homework time...
October 23rd-
I couldn't write yesterday because I was loaded with homework. The teachers at school aren?t cutting us any slack, but I don't mind. It keeps me from thinking about my friend. She avoided me today because of what I said yesterday. When she was going on and on about the guy she was supposed to meet, I just told her that she shouldn?t go. She looked at me funny. This is how the conservation went:
'Why not?'
'I don't think it's safe. The guy could have gotten that picture from anywhere'
'Don't be stupid! That was only a copy I gave you! I have the original at home!'
'Wait. You gave him your address!?'
'He mailed me the photo! It's not like he came over! Anyway, you're just being stuffy'
'But at least I'm being safe!'
'Your overreacting-'
'Am not! It's common sense not to give strangers your address! Remember yesterday when the teacher told us that another girl went missing!'
'They didn't have proof!'
'He could have taken a picture of someone else!'
At that point, she just stormed off, saying that I didn?t know anything. More later?
October 25th-
Had to complete a project, so I couldn't write. Nothing much has happened; my friend is still ignoring me, though she sits at our table because everyone else is there. It was awkward when I tried to join the conversation, so I started goofing off with the boys. It was funny watching them have a milk chugging contest, so I didn't here my name come up.
One of the girls told me that my friend thinks that I treat life as if it were a bubble, set to pop at any moment. Luckily, the girls don't like talking behind people's backs and managed to get her off the topic. I don't she why she has to talk about me like that, though after hearing it, it does seem like I live that way.
October 30th-
Been way to busy to write lately, but I'll take a break on homework now. My friend hasn't spoken to me lately, so there isn't much to say. She has talked about me behind my back, but the girls defend me when they can or else change the subject. This is what they say she's said about me:
'She wears the worst clothes. What is she? Fashionably challenged?'
'Her hair is so ratty. She needs to wear a wig!'
'She's an idiot and has no sense of adventure.'
'She sucks.'
There have been a number of ones that I won't mention here, and it hurts that she could say this about me.
I made up my mind yesterday what I'm going to do. I'm-
November 1st-
My last entry was cut short because I was called downstairs to dinner. But the reason that I didn't continue where I left off was because of an important errand I had to make. That is why she now hates me, because after dinner, I called her house and told her parents about the meeting.
She's banned from leaving the house without permission now and has lost all of her Internet access, and that is why she hates me. She called me and told me that I ruined her life, but after I read the daily community paper this morning, I think she'll forgive me. There at the bottom of the front page, was a missing persons ad. Her friend hasn't come home after people saw him leave his house and head in the direction of the school.
Now, my only hope is that he will be found and brought home safely, and that one day, my friend will forgive me.
I treat life as though it were a bubble, set to pop at any time. Now I realize that for some people who are not careful, it pop at any time. You've only got one life, make sure you do the right things, cause no matter what, it will always effect someone around you. Good or bad...
End
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