The 11th February is Safer Internet Day.
Use these tips to ensure you are safe online:
- Only talk to people you know and trust in real life;
- Don’t give away personal information to strangers – like what street you live on, or where you go to school. Say “No.” if they ask you to share photos or videos of you;
- Set your profiles to private;
- Be ‘share aware’ – once you share something online, you’ve got no control over what anyone else does with it. It’s illegal to take, share or view sexual images of under-18s, full stop;
- Be mindful of your digital footprint – it could come back to bite you;
- If you see something upsetting, or someone bullies you, tell an adult you trust;
- Don’t assume everything you see is true to life. People often make their lives look more exciting online;
- Watch out for hoaxes and scams like messages you’re asked to pass on or that asks you for payment details or passwords;
- Be wary of schemes that promise easy cash in return for you receiving and transferring money, and don’t be fooled by anything that glamorises gang lifestyles;
- Watch out for loot boxes or other ways that games get you to pay – before you know it, you can end up spending a lot of money on them.
