Plug Me In

Staying Safe Online…

October 29, 2007

The single most important lesson for digital kids to learn is how to keep safe while exploring online.  While the Internet is full of incredibly cool tools that can help us to communicate and to collaborate, it can also have dark corners that you’ll want to avoid.  Before becoming a digital all-star, you must read and agree to follow these Internet safety tips created by Childnet International and retrieved on October 29, 2007:

Keep it Private:  When you are chatting to people or posting things online, make sure you keep your own and other people’s personal information private.  If you have created your own online space, profile or website, make sure it is set to private so that you can control who can view your thoughts, ideas, images and videos.  Bear in mind that future academic institutions and employers may search for you online to see if you are the right person for them.   

Keep it Cool:  If you or someone you know is being bullied online or via a mobile phone, you have a right not to have to deal with it on your own.  It is important you save the messages or conversations and show an adult you can trust to help to resolve the situation. 

Keep it Legal:  Be aware of the legal consequences of your online activities.  Illegal activities include downloading copyrighted music or film and harassing other people online.  You are not anonymous online and things can get traced back to you. 

Keep in Mind:  Not everything you see or everyone you meet online is reliable.  People that you’ve only met online are still strangers no matter how friendly they are.  Because meeting up with these people can be dangerous, never do it without your parents present!  Bringing a friend only puts them in danger too.   

Keep in Control:  If you have met someone online and conversations with that person are making you feel uncomfortable, tell an adult you trust!  All such incidents can be dangerous and should be taken very seriously.  

Keep Your Mates Safe:  Think before you post a picture or a video of your friends.  Once you have posted a picture, you have lost control of it and it could easily be copied, changed or used elsewhere online.  Keep your mates safe by never posting pictures of them without their permission.

Entry Filed under: Internet Safety. .