Chat rooms are often referred to as dangerous, frightening and unsettling.  But are there any advantages to  the use of chat rooms?  Today, I interviewed Nicole Fernandes, a frequent visitor of a chat room and Oliver Jonas, a previous user of online chat rooms to find out their views on them.

What is your overall opinion on chat rooms?

“They should be used in moderation.  They can e dangerous but you need to know how to use them to ensure that you stay safe.” – Nicole Fernandes.

“Online chat rooms, although they let you meet some great people, there are also people who will create an image, a reputation for themselves, either positive or negative, because they are hidden behind a computer screen.  The person on the other side of the screen can do nothing.” – Oliver Jonas.

What do you think some of the advantages of using chat rooms are?

“They allow you to meet and interact with people who have similar hobbies or interests to you.  This can be especially beneficial for people who find it hard to talk to others in real life.” – Nicole Fernandes.

“Online chat rooms have the potential to be full of people who struggle to make real life friends, either because of things like depression or autism.  Because the people who have capabilities in real life won’t need chat rooms to help them.  Many people I’ve met in chat rooms have serious illnesses.” – Oliver Jonas.

What are some disadvantages of online chat rooms?

“They can be quite dangerous if you don’t use them safely.  If you give out personal information, that can be dangerous as people could track you down or stalk you.” – Nicole Fernandes.

“There are some people of which I’ve spoken to, who could set a bad example for others.  I’ve met people who have dropped out of school as he couldn’t be bothered to work, people who enter relationships with different people frequently, those who fake their identity, etc.  Online chat rooms are not always safe and you cannot control what kind of people you meet on them.” – Oliver Jonas.

Man-Yin Lin, Newstead Wood School