Magic Forums

Hello everyone,

It's been awhile since I last posted one of my small "SoM/magick advice columns" but I'd like to share some more advice I just thought up. This relates to keeping yourself safe when it comes to interacting with other members on here. I recently just encountered an eerie person from here and it has inspired me to give some advice regarding talking with members on here. I would like this post to target mainly members who are currently underage.

Many members here are very nice and normal people with similar interests as you and I. But, there are a seldom few individuals on here that may have ill intentions towards younger women or men. I feel I have recently encountered one of those rare people and I regret it. Fortunately nothing major happened. But, real things involving someone online can indeed happen in the real world, if they are that sick enough.

When you're talking to someone online here, always have extra caution. If they are significantly older than you, become even more cautious; many older men online in general like to take advantage of young girls and women who are also online. This doesn't mean that every man is out for that, especially here on SoM. But, from what I just learned, these are some signs you should pay attention to that may indicate they have worse intentions than just making simple magick talk:

1) They are overwhelmingly nice to you; they compliment your looks many times, they compliment your strengths compulsively, and they make you feel extremely great about yourself..almost a little too good to be true. What I mean by this is, they seem to exaggerate how great you are. They seem to be hooked onto the idea of you. This could indicate the person is trying to gain your trust.

2) They ask to take conversations off the website, especially to a site where there isn't much of a moderating system; this could be a sign that they want to begin a sexual conversation and they're trying to take you off SoM so the moderators can't find out. For this, strictly keep all conversation on the website. It's much easier and safer with the great moderator team we have.

3) They seem to be obsessed with you; they message you constantly, even when you're away. They ask for personal information like your cell phone number so they can call you. They may also flatter you about your SoM photos too much. They may also constantly let you into their secret world, so to speak. They may say they can only trust you because you mean so much to them, and then they tell you all their "secrets." This is basically used as another flattering technique to gain your trust. Be weary of this, also.

4) They claim to have romantic feelings for you or they express that they are sexually attracted to you, even if you're underage and they are not. This is a major red flag that the person may have worse intentions. With this, you should report it to a moderator immediately so this person can't prey on anyone else.

5) If you ever have a gut feeling that the person you are talking to has something "off" about themselves or they're intentions, refrain from replying. Trust me. This is probably the best advice I can give. If something feels wrong, don't feed it to possibly get worse.

Again, not every member can't be trusted..I'm just saying to have extra caution and keep your eye open to whomever you interact with online. They may have bad intentions that can scar you or damage your life. If you are in a strange situation with someone on here, please don't hesitate to contact a moderator. They can help. If you'd like advice or someone to talk to about this, feel free to message me.

Have fun, but please use caution and be safe. :) Blessed Be!