Short messages on Online safety issues from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
Anyone under 18 “sexting” (texting sexually explicit pictures) could be committing an offence, despite 16 and 17-year-olds being legally old enough to have sex.
Finding it hard to talk about how you are really feeling? Samaritans is a safe place to turn; it’s anonymous and confidential: 08457 90 90 90 or jo@samaritans.org .
If something is troubling you, Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All chats are completely confidential. You can reach them on 08457 90 90 90 or jo@samaritans.org .
You can control who sees your updates by protecting your Tweets. They will only be visible to users you’ve approved, and won’t appear in Google search.
Safer Internet Day – today – is organised in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre in February of each year to promote the safe and responsible use of online technology and mobile phones for children and young people.
You can control who can find you on facebook and access your updates through Settings -> Privacy. They can only be visible to friends, and you don’t need to appear in Google search.
Using the same usernames for the places you visit socially online makes it easy for someone else to build up a picture of you and what you’ve shared with your online friends across interests.
What you put on twitter and facebook can be read by anyone at work; there may be repercussions if your company thinks you are misrepresenting their employees.
Internet trolls: the only things they know about you are the bits you’ve told them. This includes what they can match up about you with a few simple Google searches.
It is unlikely an anonymous internet troll really knows who you are, or much about you, so you can disregard their comments. Don’t respond, and don’t take them to heart.