Be your own person. Don't let friends or strangers pressure you to be someone you aren't. And know your limits. You may be Net-savvy, but people and relationships change, and unexpected stuff can happen on the Internet.
Be nice online. Or at least treat people the way you'd want to be treated. People who are nasty and aggressive online are at greater risk of being bullied or harassed themselves. It's a vicious cycle you really don't want to get into.
Think about what you post. Sharing provocative photos or intimate details online, even in private emails, can cause you problems later on. Even people you consider friends can use this info against you, especially if they become ex-friends. And don't post photos or videos of others without their permission.
Read between the "lines." It may be fun to check out new people for friendship or romance, but be aware that, while some people are nice, others act nice because they're trying to get something. Flattering or supportive messages may be more about manipulation than friendship or romance.
Don't talk about sex with strangers. Be cautious when communicating with people you don't know in person, especially if the conversation starts to be about sex or physical details. Don't lead them on—you don't want to be the target of a predator's grooming. If they persist, call your local police or contact CyberTipline.com.
Avoid in-person meetings. The only way someone can physically harm you is if you're both in the same location, so to be 100 percent safe, don't meet them in person. If you really have to get together with someone you "met" online, don't go alone. Have the meeting in a public place, tell a parent or some other solid backup, and bring some friends along.
Be smart when using a wireless phone. All the same tips apply with phones as with computers—except that phones are with you wherever you are, often away from home and your usual support systems. Be careful whom you give your number to and how you use GPS and other technologies that can pinpoint your physical location.
Source: ConnectSafely.org (visit)
FROM THE EXPERTS | Not Your Parents' Internet: Understanding "Web 2.0" Safety
by Nancy Willard
When the Internet exploded into
public use in the late 1990s, the initial
concerns of youth Internet use were generally
focused on three issues: privacy, pornography,
and predators. Strategies were developed in
good faith to address these concerns.
Today's virtual world is increasingly interactive and we know more about youth risk online. Based on my work with schools and review of research literature, I have suggestions for adults to update our approach to Internet safety at home and at school.
What is Web 2.0?
Web 1.0 was largely one-directional Internet use—Web as an information source. In the Web 2.0 environment, the emphasis is on publication and participation. All users can easily post information online, share music, photos and files, and interact with others. Web 2.0 is also highly mobile, shifting from desktop computers to personal digital devices, wireless phones, and even hand-held games.
Web 2.0 it brings with it incredible opportunities for interactive learning and educational activities—along with some new risk management concerns. Web 2.0 safety strategies should empower young people, giving them knowledge of the risks together with effective ways to prevent unsafe situations, and to detect and respond to them if they arise.
Responding to a Complex and Interactive World
For younger children, it is important to provide protected online environments, but teens need practical messages that reflect their realities. Here are some strategies to help teens become Web 2.0 savvy.
Avoiding Fear-Based
Tactics
Some common messages
delivered to teens are: "Online strangers are
dangerous and will try to deceive you." "If you
meet in person with an online stranger, this
person will try to harm you." "If you provide
personal information online, a stranger who
wants to harm you will use this information to
track you down."
The reality is that "stranger-danger" warnings and fear-based prevention approaches are not likely to be effective with teens. Sexual solicitation can occur without posting personal contact information. Furthermore, teens know many adults do not understand the Internet—which makes teens likely to dismiss "online stranger danger" messages as evidence that adults fear what they do not understand.
Teens' widening social web. Teens will have increasing engagement with online strangers, just as they are always meeting new people in the real world. The reality is that sometimes teens will want to meet in-person with someone they have first met online—for example, a friend of a friend. Teens must learn how to assess the safety of someone met online by closely reviewing their profile, postings, and friends. They must know how to arrange for a safe meeting in a public place with a trustworthy friend or parent nearby.
Teens with a history of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and who take other risks on- and off-line are particularly at risk for entering into inappropriate sexual relationships with people they meet online. Boys who are gay or questioning are also at increased risk. Teens who post sexy pictures online or talk with online strangers about sex are clearly at risk.
All teens should know to watch out for anyone—adult or teen, stranger or not—who appears to be trying to manipulate them by offering excessive complements, gifts, or opportunities, or wanting to establish a "special" relationship.
Understanding Personal
Disclosure
A common safety message
is: "Don't post personal information
online."
While this is an important message for younger children, teens may legitimately ask: "How do I register on a site? How do I purchase something on iTunes or eBay without providing my name and address? How can I have fun on MySpace without sharing information about who I am? I have a private login, so is it okay to post pictures of myself on the beach?"
Many teens appear to have limited understanding of potential harm or damage from inappropriate information disclosure. Given that a major part of social networking is sharing information about who you are online, teens need greater guidance on how to manage various kinds of personal information. This includes certain personal contact, financial, intimate or reputation-damaging material, and information about others.
It's important to convey the message that anything put into electronic form and sent or posted can easily become very public and very permanent. Teens should understand that while they should use privacy protection features of social networking sites, the material they post is still not entirely private because their "friends" have access to it. Further, they should learn to read and interpret privacy policies and recognize when market profilers are seeking personal information.
Encouraging
Communication
Another standard
Internet safety message is: "If you feel
uncomfortable about something that happens
online, tell an adult."
This is important advice, but teens are much less likely to tell adults about online concerns if they think adults may not know what to do or are likely to overreact, blame them or restrict their online access. It is essential that we do a better job of educating adults— especially parents/guardians and teachers—to effectively respond to online concerns. We can also equip and engage teens themselves as effective peer mentors (see below).
Curbing Addictive
Access
Addictive access is an
excessive amount of time spent using the
Internet resulting in a lack of healthy
engagement in other areas of life. Social
networking sites can be very addictive for some
teens. For others, social networking is simply
an extension of their active social lives.
Online gaming sites and multiplayer
role-playing games can be highly addictive, in
part because leaving the game can result in
letting your online "team" down. Addictive
access is likely a significant new cause of
poor school performance. Adults must help teens
learn to keep their lives in balance.
Boosting Information
Literacy
Anyone can post anything
online. Some sites may try to influence the
attitudes and behavior of others. People tend
to judge the accuracy of information based on
the appearance of the Web site, which can be
deceiving. Assessing the accuracy of material
online is an essential information-age skill.
Problem-Solving and Peer Leadership
Because teens are participating in online environments where there are frequently no adults present, it is our job to equip teens to engage in effective and responsible problem-solving to address cyberbullying and sexual harassment, accidental access to pornographic materials, and unsafe or dangerous online communities. Teens also need to learn about responsible online publishing, including attribution of source, respect for copyright, and respect for others when posting information online.We can develop effective peer leadership by encouraging these savvy teens to provide assistance to their peers and report online concerns to adults.
Teens often learn best by role-playing. In discussions about online risks, provide scenarios about students who have gotten into risky or difficult situations or are engaging in risky, irresponsible, or illegal behavior. Inspire students to problem-solve about how they would respond if a friend, peer, or even a stranger were at risk online—what would they advise? What would they do if this person appeared to be unwilling or unable to respond effectively to the risk?
Nancy E. Willard
is a former special education teacher and a
lawyer who focuses on youth risk online and
advises schools about the safety, legal, and
ethical issues related to Internet use. She is
the author of two books on Internet safety and
cyberbullying prevention. She directs the
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use:
http://csriu.org/.