Chat room conversation may lead to threatening emails, blog rants or even attempts to find and harass the person in real life. If a chat room member has offered up personal details, such as her “real life” first and last name, participants may cross the line and attempt to make contact.

Are Internet chat rooms safe?

Chat rooms can be scary for kids and lead to potentially dangerous situations, but experts say they are not as threatening as information-sharing social media platforms. Chat rooms are online platforms that offer strangers a place to talk in group “rooms,” similar to a text group chat but most users are anonymous.