Help with Online Safety

Going on the internet allows you to connect to other people, be creative and discover new things on a smartphone, tablet or laptop/computer. Despite lots of fun and interesting things to do online, it is really important to stay safe and be aware of the risks.

Some tips to stay safe online include:

• Think before you post – don’t upload of share anything you wouldn’t want your parents/carers, teachers or employer to see. Once something is posted, you lose control of it; especially if someone else screenshots it.
• Don’t share personal details – keep information such as your address, phone number, school/college and date of birth private. It is also important to check what people can see in your privacy settings.
• Watch out for scams – phishing is when someone tries to trick you into giving them personal information such as your password. Never click links from emails or messages that tell you to log in or share your details. Even if you think something is genuine, if you’re asked to log into a website, click off the email/message and go directly to the app or website.
• Think about who you’re talking to – people can try and trick you into trusting them online. Even if you like and trust someone you’ve met online never share any personal information with them such as your full name, address or where you go to school or college
• Keep your information secure – use strong passwords, keep your apps and devices up to date and make sure you log out of your accounts when you’re using public or shared devices.
• Clean your feed – if you’re regularly seeing posts on social media that make you feel sad, angry, stressed or upset if can begin to have a negative impact on your life. By unfollowing or removing posts and accounts that make you feel down it will create a more positive environment for you.
• Limit your time online – especially before you go to sleep and when you first wake up. Apps like Facebook, Instagram and Youtube make it easy to track your time online whether you’re on iOS or Android.

The information below provides helpful advice, guides and videos to help you think about how you can manage your safety online.