Actor Tisca Chopra’s new book tackles puberty and growing up for girls between eight and 13

On the internet, anything seems possible. You could post a video of yourself dancing and be offered a soft drink ad. You can see pictures of your childhood home in another city or watch a movie with friends while staying home. There is almost nothing you can’t do online. And that is what makes the web potentially dangerous. It is best to be very careful.

For some of us who are introverts, making friends online seems like an easy solution. But is it? Unless the person on the other side of your computer screen is a friend, you will never really know who is chatting with you or even recording your conversations.

Behind the screen

It’s easy to create a fake online identity. Be very careful because some people are experts at winning a person’s trust and leading them to do things that they wouldn’t otherwise. The golden rule for the internet is to make sure that you know people in real life before you start interacting with them online.

If anyone asks you to keep your chats “secret”, that should ring an alarm.

Don’t ever meet anyone you don’t know in real life. Also, don’t share personal details such as your home address. You don’t...

Read more