We know! We can see you rolling your eyes. You’re sick of teachers, parents, carers, social workers and others telling you to be careful online. BUT (there’s always a but) it’s really important for you to know how to keep yourself out of trouble online.
Whenever adults talk about the internet, they’re always negative about it, right? The truth is the internet is incredible! It’s given you Tik Tok, Snapchat, Insta and numerous gaming channels. It’s helped you make friends, learn new skills, capture your finest moments and find others who like the same stuff you like. You know exactly how to use it and it’s a big part of your life. What’s not to love?
Like anything good in life, the internet demands some wisdom. We all know fizzy drinks are delicious but we also know we have to be a bit thoughtful about how much we have and we realise that we may have to take action to avoid any associated harm. So we don’t drink it too often and we brush our teeth afterwards.
The internet is the same. There is all this amazing stuff out there. It’s fun, it’s liberating but we need to be smart. We need to take certain steps to ensure our data is protected (especially with the birth of AI), to make sure no-one dangerous can find us or contact us, to avoid being scammed and to make sure the internet stays being fun and doesn’t turn against us. Here’s our quick guide to staying safe online this #SaferInternetDay.
It’s also wise to think about things that identify you. For instance, use a username rather than a real name where you can. Also, don’t be shy about blocking people. If someone is making you uneasy or is requesting to follow you when you don’t know them, just block them – it’s better than being scammed. Don’t ever give out your number, name or address to a stranger. Think of your personal data as gold. It’s valuable to lots of people from large companies to criminals. You have it, they want it. Would you bump into someone on the street and just hand over your gold watch or your diamond earrings? No? Exactly. Be smart!
You’ve grown up online and you are part of the community it holds. You can make it a better place for those who use it now and those who’ll use it in future. Report bad stuff. Don’t hate on others. Be kind. Be wise. Be a power for good.
If you’re having problems online and you want to talk to someone, remember you can always speak to the engagement team. If you’ve lost their number just drop Vick an email at vicky.sellen@affinityfostering.com
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