My Parents Don't get The Fact that Scratch has helped me Learn And Grow In Many ways, they also don't get that The friends I have on Scratch Are Kids Too, In Fact, They Think i'm talking to 80 year-old men. They Are trying relentlessly to get me off the site but I know Scratch Is EXTREMELY safe for kids and teens alike.

I'm sure there has been a rare run-in- after all, any social media site will probably get a few people who are pretending to be somebody they aren't. But, Scratch is very secure, and usually these people are quickly reported and banned. Just don't give out personal information and report anybody who is requesting personal information or otherwise making you uncomfortable and you should be fine.
It is worth mentioning, though, that you will find the occasional adult. Scratch welcomes people of all ages, and that includes 80-year-old men, as long as they follow the community guidelines.
Hope that helps!

As long as you stay safe and don't reveal personal info about yourself, you'll be fine.

Yeah. All I did is promise I wouldn't give out my address and stuff, and my parents let me off the hook. But for my some people, like my cousin and some Zelda fan from Britain who did speed draws, parents aren't as secure.

My Parents Insist that People Will Hack Me And i Will be Tracked.

There are some adults on Scratch, but it's much more popular with kids/teens. Scratch does welcome people of all ages, but adults still have to follow the Community Guidelines and be respectful, so why should it matter whether someone's 14 or 80? They still have to be respectful and follow the Community Guidelines either way.

Quacky101 wrote:

My Parents Insist that People Will Hack Me And i Will be Tracked.

You can't really be hacked that easily; after all, Scratch is VERY secure. It's hosted by the MIT, and I'm pretty sure they know how to deal with issues like that. I've never seen a single hacker on the site before.

Quacky101 wrote:

My Parents Insist that People Will Hack Me And i Will be Tracked.

That's VERY unlikely. With parents like that, do they even allow you to go to school?

nickeljorn wrote:

Quacky101 wrote:

My Parents Insist that People Will Hack Me And i Will be Tracked.

That's VERY unlikely. With parents like that, do they even allow you to go to school?

I know… The risks of harm are probably way higher in school. (of course, we are assuming that they aren't homeschooled)

First of all, I don't like using the term “hack” to mean “break into accounts.” “Hack” originally meant “program creatively,” and still does to some people.

Even though I believe that your parents are being overprotective and extreme, you are obligated to obey their wishes about communication. You can download the Scratch 2 Offline Editor to use Scratch without going on the Internet.

I know it seems like they are being paranoid, but its kinda for the best. Perhaps it will help if you explain to them that this is a website designed primarily for kids. You can show them the “About” page- https://scratch.mit.edu/about/ , or you can show them what you can do with Scratch yourself!

They do want to take care of you, so here are some things you can use to stay safe.
The main rule relatively simple- use common sense. Don't open links from other people that you don't think are safe. If you don't think something on Scratch is good, not appropriate, or otherwise violates the community guidelines- https://scratch.mit.edu/community_guidelines/ , please report it. The Scratch Team are trained adults ready to help when trouble like this arises.
Keep your comments and posts respectful, and respect others- keep in mind that this is a kids website, so duh, you kinda have to be careful with them. If you respect others, you you will be respected.

Did I mention that anyone can see whatever you post on the internet? Your teacher may actually be a user on Scratch! Just be careful and don't post anything you don't want other's to see.

Follow those rules, and chances are, things won't be as catastrophic than your parents may think. Just prevent things from happening before they happen.

I asked Paddle2See if there were any child predators on this site and he responded that this site can attract some and the Scratch Team takes action against likely predators online.

Most people here are kids or teens (I read a Psychology Today article and it showed that people are mostly honest online), so you'll be likely safe. However, to be safe and secure, never disclose personal info and/or agree to meet up with someone face-to-face.

Quacky101 wrote:

My Parents Don't get The Fact that Scratch has helped me Learn And Grow In Many ways, they also don't get that The friends I have on Scratch Are Kids Too, In Fact, They Think i'm talking to 80 year-old men. They Are trying relentlessly to get me off the site but I know Scratch Is EXTREMELY safe for kids and teens alike.

No need to worry. Scratch isn't social media, it's just programming, and all people really do much on here is make projects, love and favourite them, comment on projects, discuss Scratch in the forums etc. There isn't any private messaging and any inappropriate comments will be removed. Just don't give out any personal info and you'll be fine.