PenBuddy makes it easy to express yourself, connect with friends and make new ones, but please remember that what you post publicly could embarrass you or expose you to danger. Here are some common sense guidelines that you should follow when using PenBuddy:
Don't forget that your profile is visable to the world!
Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address, IM screen names, or specific whereabouts). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where you hang out every day after school!
People aren't always who they say they are.
It's fun to connect with new friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person who you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and take a friend or trusted adult with you.
Tell Someone!
Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behavior is inappropriate, react! Talk with a trusted adult, report it to PenBuddy or tell the authorities.
Don't post anything that could embarrass you later.
Think twice before posting info you wouldn't want your parents or boss to see!
Don't mislead people into thinking that you're older or younger.
The minimum age to koin PenBuddy is 13 years. We mean it. While you can't know anyone's real age, if an underage user is reported to us and PenBuddy can confirm from statements on their profile page that the user is underage, they will be notified. Unless they can prove that they are 13 their profile page will be deleted.
For teens, PenBuddy is a popular online hangout because the site makes it easy for them to express themselves and keep in touch with their friends.
As a parent, please consider the following guidelines to help your children make safe decisions about using online communities.
Talk to your kids about why they use PenBuddy, how they communicate with others and how they represent themselves on PenBuddy.
Kids shouldn't lie about how old they are. PenBuddy members must be 13 years of age or older. We take extra precautions to protect our younger members and we are not able to do so if they do not identify themselves as such. PenBuddy will delete users whom we find to be younger than 13, or those misrepresenting their age.
PenBuddy is a public site. Members shouldn't post anything they wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., phone number, address, IM screen names, or specific whereabouts). Tell your children they should avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find them, such as their local hangouts.
Remind them not to post anything that could embarrass them later or expose them to danger. Although PenBuddy is public, teens sometimes think that adults can't see what they post. Tell them that they shouldn't post info they wouldn't want adults to see.
People aren't always who they say they are. Ask your children to be careful about connecting with strangers. It's fun to connect with new friends from all over the world, but members should be cautious when communicating with people they don't know. They should talk to you if they want to meet an online friend in person, and if you think it's safe, any meeting should take place in public and with friends or a trusted adult present. Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If your kids encounter inappropriate behavior, tell them that they can let you know, or they can report it to PenBuddy or the authorities.