Staying safe online: quick tips
Here’s what you can do today
You’re online and come across something that makes you feel uncomfortable or worried. Maybe a friend from school is being bullied and you don’t know what to do. Or maybe, someone’s messages go from friendly to threatening.
There are so many things to love about being connected, but the internet is also being misused and abused every day, and young people are paying the price.
How do we make the internet a safer place for all of us? Here’s what you can do today:
- Be kind online. Support your peers by sending positive messages, a smile or a high-five.
- Check your settings and your passwords: is your password 12345? Have you shared it with a friend? Who can see what you post online? When’s the last time you reviewed your privacy settings?
- And remember, it starts with you! Don’t spread rumours or share hurtful or embarrassing stories or photos. What may seem like a harmless joke to one person can be deeply hurtful to others.
Let’s join together to #ENDviolence online.
Speak up
If you currently feel you’re being bullied, reach out to someone you trust.
Show support
If you think you have seen someone else being bullied, speak up. Reach out to that person and show your support. Your words can make a difference.
Stop bullying
If you feel your behaviour towards someone falls under the category of bullying, you can make a change. Stop and reach out to someone for support. Be kind, be a hero today.
Think before you accept
Before you accept a friend request you should have a look at their profile – and try to see who they are. Remember: Sometimes people pretend to be someone they are not, and it’s hard to know if they are telling the truth.
Do you have friends in common? Are you from the same town? Don’t feel pressured to accept random friend requests. Check your privacy settings so that people you don’t know don’t see any information that you don’t want them to see.
Think before you send
Don’t spread rumours or share hurtful or embarrassing stories or photos. What may seem like a harmless joke to one person can be deeply hurtful to others.
Think twice before you click ‘send’, especially if you’re upset or angry. Once you share a message, photo or video, it’s hard to control what happens to it. Taking it down is nearly impossible.
And remember you have the right to privacy – and so do others. It is not okay to log into other people’s accounts or to use their phones without their permission.
Think before you share
You can change the privacy settings on your social media platforms to help you control who sees your information – and all the locations where you’ve checked in.
Think carefully about what you share with whom. Don’t share personal information like your address, phone number or bank details. And definitely don’t share your passwords!
If your privacy settings are not secure, anyone can see your information.
