Social networking

How can I make it safer?

Important discussions to have…

  • Discuss with students the public nature of the Internet.
  • Explain to students that pictures should not be sent or posted online without parental permission — once sent, control over what happens to the pictures is lost.
  • Reinforce the idea with students that not everyone is who they say they are online. People can pretend to be older or younger than they actually are.
  • Explain to students that they should trust their instincts and block or ignore someone if the individual asks questions online that seem "weird" (i.e. questions about puberty, sex, etc.).
  • Talk about friendship: what it is and isn't.
  • Explain to students that online chatting needs to be adult-supervised.
  • Explain to students that it's illegal to threaten someone, and that they should tell a safe adult if threatened online.