The Pros and Cons of Online Chat Rooms
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The Pros and Cons of Online Chat Rooms
The environment we now live in makes it simple to get practically anything with the click of a button. Much of our social activities revolve around the digital space.
Anyone seeking social contact has so many options to signup to a variety of sites or apps to connect with other people who are also looking for social interactions on the internet. Like anything in life, there are pros and cons with choosing to interact virtually as opposed to in-person interactions.
When someone has no one to talk to, this can be extremely challenging. People often feel as though their family or friends can’t relate to a problem they are dealing with and they can feel awkward expressing themselves or feel as though people are too busy to talk to them or that they are a burden and will quite often refrain from seeking help.
It’s often more difficult sharing something sensitive with someone close to you than it is a stranger. It may also be a simple matter of you not having many friends. Our society lends itself to a large group of lonely people, as such, free chat rooms can be an appealing option as a mechanism to express yourself in a way you wouldn’t normally be prepared to do.
With that said, different people benefit in different ways with what they will get out of using a chat room.
Some of the advantages and disadvantages of online chat rooms
The majority of online chat rooms offer anonymity. This enables us to grow in confidence and helps us to open up in a way that we wouldn’t normally share with regular people with whom we’d normally come into contact with.
Whether it’s the right way to act or not, opening up to people online is just so much easier. Let’s explore some of the pro’s and cons of using an online chat room:
Pros
• Anonymity
• Learning from people with different views
• Get a range of perspectives from various cultures or backgrounds
• Use technology to narrow down the people that matter to you (age, interests, gender, friendships or dating)
• Most online chat rooms are free
• Offers opinions that are unbiased
When you’re communicating with people in live chat rooms, at times you’ll find similar things in common, although you still have a different relationship with these people compared to your family or close friends.
Don’t look at this as drawback, this can actually be super beneficial to you. Getting a fresh perspective from a stranger is sometimes better than from someone who you know in real life.
When you’re chatting online, you won’t get as many biased opinions compared to chatting to a close friend for example, who may not be able to see your situation as subjectively as a total stranger.
Another thing to consider is, if you’re the type of person who struggles with emotional conversations, communicating in written text chat can help you overcome some of your emotional fears.
Not having to share emotional pain and discomfort face-to-face is what makes online chat rooms an appealing option for so many.
Particularly if you are someone who struggles with low self-esteem, anxiety or even depression, the anonymity with chatting online is just one of the many perks of using chat rooms as an outlet for self-expression.
Further, there’s a degree of comfort and solidarity available to you when chatting to various types of people who are also experiencing similar situations. Even though your friends and family are there to comfort you, it’s quite common they’ll seldom be able to fully understand what you’re going through.
Chatrooms.org.au allow their users to make direct connections with people who share the same background as you, and if you’re searching for a new perspective, there’s a whole new community you never knew existed for you to reach out to and change the way you think about certain issues.
If isolation is part of your life, you might be better off having someone online to reach out to rather than no one at all.
Bottling up our emotions can have damaging effects over a long period of time, and if you’re not in a position to, or are not prepared to share your feelings with someone face-to-face, exchanging messages with a real person in a non-intimidating way via online chat can make a huge difference.
Cons
• It takes time and smarts to determine if the people you’re engaging with are who they say they are
• Vulnerability attracts certain people who may decide to take advantage of your situation
• Finding new relationships on the internet has the potential to alienate you from your friends and family
Like anywhere you come across people, most are kind, decent and sincere. But when you’re dealing with people online, it can at times be difficult to determine people’s motivation. Cyber-deception is real and some people on the internet are masters of acting in a deceptive manner with the goal to earn your trust.
The number 1 rule of chatting online is to always keep your personal details 100% private. Any relationship, whether it be online or offline, requires a period of time and due diligence before you can consider them a real and true friend.
If you are feeling uncomfortable with any of your interactions in the chat room, don’t hesitate to end the conversation.
Using a chat room as a support mechanism is a great option, however it’s not the only way to find help. If you spend all your time online you run the risk of neglecting face-to-face relationships, and this type of interaction is critical and is a fundamental element of being part of society.
Other takeaways for using online chat rooms
Your you’re using chat rooms for no reason other than to interact with other users on a casual basis, take necessary steps to employ digital safety. Guarding your own emotional welfare should be at the top of your mind always. Check out these extra chat room safety tips and stay safe.
• Chat rooms may not always find the solution you’re looking for
If you don’t have the time to consult a counsellor, digital therapy is a trend that many people use as an alternative. Depending on which chat room you use, some of the moderators volunteer their time so you can confide in them about issues you’re dealing with.
However, depending on the severity of your problems, face-to-face therapy or a licensed online therapist may be required to get to the highest level of your problems dealt with. So always consider this option of you’re not finding the right solutions chatting to various people in the chat rooms.
• Some chat sites may not be a legitimate or safe option
Safety on the internet must be observed as the number 1 rule! There are many chat sites that quality as excellent ways to express yourself, but always be mindful that a small number of chat websites online are designed to steal your personal information by accessing data stored on your computer. Research is the key takeaway when choosing the right chat room.
• Online therapists or chat websites may not always be helpful
Without doubt, there are many fantastic resources online, on the flip side though, there are crafty and sleek scammers out there ready to trick you into believing you’re getting legitimate help. If any of the sites you’re using ask you to pay money, be careful. As mentioned earlier, most of these chat rooms are free and never require any payment.
Conclusion
Using online chat rooms come with potentially life-changing benefits. Having the skills and experience to utilize internet literacy and being capable of knowing the danger signs to detect dangerous scenarios is crucial.
If you’re a frequent online chatter, take the above points on board at all times to ensure you have a safe online experience that is beneficial to your personal well-being and development.
