Tools for teens

• Remind students that the Internet is a public place.
• Discuss with students respect and dignity and how they portray themselves online.
• Explain to students the importance of being careful with pictures they post or send online; reinforce that once a picture is sent, control over what happens to it is lost.
• Explain to students how experimenting in a public place like the Internet can have irreversible, embarrassing consequences.
• Warn students about individuals they chat with online who start talking about sex, puberty, ask ‘weird’ questions or request naked or sexually explicit pictures. Tell them to trust their instincts and block anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable.
• Explain to students that it’s illegal to threaten someone online or offline. If someone threatens them online, they need to tell a safe adult.
• Discuss the inaccurate representations of healthy relationships in the media, and explain the true qualities of healthy relationships. Tell students not to share their passwords with anyone, and that their passwords should be a combination of numbers and letters (both upper- and lower-case). Explain that pop-up ads and malicious sites appear legitimate, but that email and messenger providers will never ask for their usernames and passwords.