By CARLOS RUBEN DOURADO
brats@thestar.com.my

I’M sure most of you have heard or read about Ng Yuk Tim, the 15-year-old girl who was apparently murdered by a male friend (charged in court last week) whom she had met through Facebook a few years back. I was completely shocked when I read about it. It is a real tragedy for someone that young to have her life taken – even more so if it is proven that her friend had committed the crime.

There are pros and cons to befriending people online. When you meet someone online, your general approach would be to get to know their background a bit better. We always have some natural defences.

But here’s the twist – there are people out there who have their game plan sorted out to take advantage of people online. Not saying that’s what happened in Yuk Tim’s case, but I’m sure we’ve all seen examples of online scams in the past. They might not often involve violent crimes, but many have had their bank accounts cleared out by scammers.

So why do young people still make friends with others on social media, knowing the inherent dangers?

Personally, I think meeting someone new is a ticket to something fresh. It can add a little colour to your life. Sometimes, it can also lead to bigger opportunities in life.

I have a friend who loves art, and she met a blogger online who decided to post some of her work up on his blog. A few months later, she gets a call from a company asking her to design their new logo. In a way, she found a new way to express her love for art, all through a random stranger on social media.

There’s obviously a negative side to this, but young people now are so eager to try new things that we often ignore the warning signs. We think “it’ll never happen to us” – until it actually happens to us.

Make sure you always know who you’re dealing with on the Internet, and keep your friends and family in the know. If you plan on meeting up with someone you met online, do not go alone, and keep your family informed.

So by all means, go out and meet new people. Build you character, and network with like-minded people. But at the same time, keep your guard up. Safety is always a priority.

The writer is a member of the BRATs, a young journalist programme organised by R.AGE. For more info, and to read their other stories, log on to facebook.com/starbrats.