By Emily Ottinger | Associate editor
The Internet has become essential to most people’s daily lives. Most people can’t go anywhere without being connected to it whether with a phone or computer.
This global communications network of computers has become an easy tool for online predators to use to find their targets. A simple tweet or status can lead to a predator showing up at your doorstep.
Teens are often common targets for predators. Teens constantly put themselves out in the public eye so willingly. According to http://www.onlinesafetysite.com, 71 percent of teens have made an online profile. So with a simple click of a button, predators are able to find out basic information.
Compounding their vulnerability, teens tend to search for attention and compassion, which predators use to their advantage. With teens desperately seeking comfort, they are willing to believe that a 50-year-old man is the perfect 16-year-old boy he is trying to portray. About one in five teens receive sexual advances online, according to a 2008 article in Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly.
As the Internet evolves, predators are able to focus in on their targets more easily. With the help of online chat rooms and social media, it’s easy to get in contact. With the help of Global Positioning Sys- tems showing up on technology, it is easy for predators to pinpoint locations. So how do you protect yourself?
Watching what you post is crucial. Never give away locations or schedules. Doing this will help prevent predators from finding you.
Not posting personal information is also essential. The more the predator knows about you, the easier for him to manipulate you. Always be careful with what you post online because you never know what’s happening or who is on the other side of the screen.