We all know that the Internet is
a cool place to hang with friends and check out new things. But don’t forget
about the Internet’s risks and dangers. If you’re going to use the Web, do it
safely! Here are some suggestions on what you should and shouldn’t be doing
online to help protect you against the bad stuff.
Be careful online.
Never reveal personally – identifiable
information online. A lot of creeps use the Internet
to take advantage of other people, especially kids and teens. Never reveal any
personally-identifiable information online, whether it’s on your profile page
or in a blog, chatroom, instant messenger chat or email.
- Always use a screen name instead of your real name.
- Never give out your address, telephone number, hangout
spots or links to other websites or pages where this information is
available.
- Be careful about sending pictures to people you do not
know very well.
- Never tell people personal or private information about
your friends or family.
- Never assume you’re completely anonymous online. Even
if you don’t put personal information online, there are different ways
that people can still figure out who you are and where you live.
Never share your password with other
people (except for your parents)
Your passwords to websites, email
accounts and instant messenger services should not be shared with friends or
strangers. Your friends may not be as safe as you are and may unknowingly
subject you to danger. You should, however, share your passwords with your
parents if they ask so they can make sure you’re using the Internet safely.
Never arrange meetings with strangers
Just because you’ve seen a person’s
picture and read his or her profile, does not mean you know them. Many people
online lie about who they are and what their intentions are. Just because
someone seems nice online, does not mean they really are. They could be trying
to hurt you. Never arrange a meeting with a stranger you’ve met online. Even
meeting a stranger in a crowded place could be dangerous as he could follow you
home. If you wish to meet an online friend in person, talk to your parents and
arrange a time and place where your friend can meet your parents first, just in
case. If you are worried about your parents meeting one of your online friends,
you probably shouldn’t be friends with them in the first place.
Don’t believe everything you read or
see online
Be wary of everything you see online
unless it is from a trusted source. People lie about their age, who they are,
what they look like, where they live, how they know you and what their
interests are. Also, a lot of websites and emails contain information that is
misleading or just plain untrue. If a person or deal sounds too good to be
true, it probably is. Ask your parents to help you figure out what information
is really true.
Don’t download files or software without
your parents’ permission
There are a lot of files on the
Internet that are unsafe to download to a computer. Some files will bombard you
with pop-up ads all day long. Some files will actually track everything you and
your family does on your computer, including your logins, passwords and credit
card information, which criminals then use to steal money from you and do other
harm. There is no easy way to tell which files are bad and which are ok to
download. That free desktop wallpaper you want to download might also steal
your parents’ credit card information. Ask your parents before you download any
files or software from the Internet.
Don’t respond to inappropriate messages
or emails
Some people send inappropriate messages
just to see if you will respond. If you do, you are simply encouraging them to
send more inappropriate material to you. Don’t respond to inappropriate
messages. Instead, talk to your parents about how to report them to the right
place.
Don’t post inappropriate content
If you post information about tennis,
you will attract people who are interested in tennis. If you post inappropriate
content or pictures, you will attract people who have inappropriate interests.
If you post jokes, photos or other content that contain sexual references you
will probably attract people who are only interested in talking about sex. Be
mindful of what you are communicating to the rest of the online world through the
content you put onto the Internet.
Be leery of personal questions from
strangers
People you don’t know who ask personal
questions are often up to no good. Don’t continue communicating with strangers
who ask you personal questions. Talk to your parents about how to block them
from communicating with you and report them to the right place.
Don’t be bullied into fights
People tend to say things online that
they would never say in person. Some people even say rude and malicious things,
sometimes just to see if you will respond. Don’t respond to these people.
Instead, talk to your parents about how to block them from communicating with
you and report them to the right place.
Don’t use adult sites
There are some websites that kids just
should not use. Don’t use websites that contain adult content or that
facilitate communication with older adults. No matter how much you think you
know about the Internet, there are some people and places you just aren’t ready
to deal with. Enjoy websites that are designed for people your own age.
Understand what you put online will be
there forever
Assume that everything you put online—every
email you write, every picture you post, every blog or journal entry you post—will
be accessible on the Internet forever. Many search engines copy Internet pages
and save them for viewing even after the pages are no longer online. Think
about that before you post anything online. Do you really want pictures or blog
entries to be seen 10 years from now?
Courtesy:- Legal Point
Foundation
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