Be my buddy

By Scotti Hager
George Washington High School

I’m talking to my friends on-line, and one of those annoying “Accept Message” windows pops up. Now I have a choice. I can A) click “Yes” and talk to this person or B) click “No” and continue what I was doing.

Here’s what it takes for me to do A.

Your screen name

If your screen name is really dumb, formatted strangely or has too many numbers, chances are I won’t respond. I know it’s mean, but this annoys me. I can’t stand talking to someone like that because it means I have to stare at a screen with a weird, confusing or stupid screen name pasted all over it for the whole conversation. To spare myself the grief, I just ignore you.

Your personality

Personality plays a huge role in whether you make my list. If you’re bubbly and energetic — but not overly enthusiastic — I will probably talk to you. If you’re boring and dull, then I’ll probably get bored and end the conversation. If you decide to talk to me, please have an interesting topic on your mind...or don’t bother.

Your profile

If you have a blank profile or one that says “No Information Provided,” forget it. I want to have something to look at while I’m chatting with you. It could just be a pretty design with your name or a quote from a movie or song, but there has to be something.

Your profile says a lot about you, believe it or not. If you have a quote from your favorite movie, I can tell that you like a certain type of movie. If you have just your name, but it’s in eye-catching colors, it may tell me that you’re a bright, happy person.

If you meet these criteria, you might make it onto my buddy list.

But whether you use these guidelines or some of your own, make sure you do have some rules when it comes to instant messaging. Keep yourself safe - set some boundaries and don’t talk to just anyone.