Once you’re aware of what to look out for, it’s important to initiate conversations with your friends about the rules and potential risks involved in social networking. We all want to respect each other’s privacy, but it’s equally important for us to make sure our friends understand what they’re doing online.

Below are great openers to get the conversation going between you and your friends. So take action and take the lead in opening up the discussion.

• What kinds of things do you like to do online?
• Have you been to the 2SMRT4U™ website?
• Do you have a profile on a social networking site like MySpace or Facebook?
• What kinds of things do you like to do on these sites?
• Do you use privacy settings? Why or why not?
• How do you decide who to add as a friend?
• Do you blog? Do you think sharing personal information can be dangerous?
• Do you upload photos or videos?
• Do you use your real name and age in your profile and when communicating?
• Do you think these sites can pose a danger?
• Do you think people on these sites can lie about themselves and their intentions?
• Have you thought about the consequences of what you post?