Creating Relationships Online

One of the largest and fastest growing industries online are social websites. MySpace is still one of the largest social networks on the net, and one of the top visited websites in existence.

There is YouTube, GodTube, Xanga, Flickr, and on and on. All of these sites prove one thing. We like relationships. In this there is not any concern.

Yet there should be a concern about the types of relationships one finds online. NBC uses internet social sites to trap internet predators. MySpace has recently been featured in several bullying cases one in which a young girl attempted suicide.

I am not trashing these sites (hence the Invade my space above this blog). There is a safe way to enjoy frienships online and I just wanted to alert you to a few.

• Your Information - the more information you give to a stranger (yes unless you know them personally, they are starngers) the more amunition you give them, especially to predators who have learned how to manipulate heart strings. Guard your personal and private information! Online Bullies are becoming more and more frequent (and many are living next door).
• Your profiles - I kind of like how a lot of people I know and have met like putting an age of 99. Profiles can also be used to get more information about you than you need to give. Be vague with your profiles or someone will use it against you. Be careful with the types of photos you put up.
• Your searches - be wary of the type of searches you become involved with. Searching other blogs or spaces or photos can be fun but can all lead to undesirable sites that are not places that God would want you to see. No matter how well you think you can protect yourself, know that addictions are born out of curiosity (we all know what curiosity did to the cat). Besides rumor mills and popular belief start with the uninformed. Do not believe everything you read, because much of the time someone read it from someone who read it from soemone who read it....and facts never get checked.
• Your communication - for Christians, we have to guard are hearts. Social networks are too easily used as places for venting or for revenge. Don't stoop beneath the love Christ placed within you.

Just remember, you do not know who is reading your blogs or sites or looking at your pictures. You can protect yourself and enjoy your time on the web. Just remember these few simple steps and listen to God.