Online Safety

"Hey, have you seen my laptop? No! Give me my laptop! What's your problem?" Dear Tim and Moby, Without texting, IMing, and online games, my life would be meaningless. But is it safe to go online? From, Evan. "So that's it, you're worried about online safety? Well, Evan, there are some dangers to going online, but that doesn't mean you can't stay safe. And we should know, I use the internet to research our movies, and Moby's a texting fiend. Oh, would you cheer up? Going online is just as safe as going outside, as long as you follow some simple rules. They're mostly common sense, but it never hurts to review. Rule one, keep your identity a secret. Before you know what a site's all about, try to stay anonymous. Don't give out personal info, like your name, address, phone number, pictures, email address, or even the name of your school, until you check it out with your parents. You wouldn't share that stuff with just anyone in real life, right? So online, you need to be just as careful. If you need a screen name to use a website or instant messaging service, try to pick something totally different from your real name, and make sure it doesn't give away anything about your age, location, or gender. On AstronomyGeek.com, I'm not Tim, I'm Space Face. Well, I think it's a cool name. It doesn't give anything away about my true identity, and it's easy for my friends to remember. That's true, a lot of websites will ask for your name, email address, and other stuff before you can register. It can get a little confusing, so always do this with your parents, so they can help to separate the good sites from the bad. That's especially true for social networking sites. Don't sign up for any of those without your parents' permission. Rule 2. Be extra careful with strangers. If you have any online friends, remember, all you know about them is what they tell you. That makes it easy for people to hide who they really are. It's a terrible thing to think about, but unfortunately, there are adults who use the internet to trick kids. No, that doesn't mean you can't have online friends. As long as you keep your personal information secret, there's nothing anyone can do to harm you. Letting your parents know about your online friends is a good idea too. You should get your parents involved if an online buddy wants to meet face-to-face, or even if you want to send a picture of yourself. And if you get an email, IM, or text from someone you don't know, it's best not to answer it at all. Oh, and while we're on the subject of strangers, remember that they're not the only danger. Someone you know can use your personal information against you too, so don't go sharing your contact information with just any kid from school. Yep, bullies are just as mean on the internet as they are in real life. Rule 3. Tell somebody. If anyone makes you feel bad or uncomfortable, tell your parents or another adult right away. You can block those people, or report them to the site's administrators. But remember, your parents and teachers are there to help protect you from bad stuff, so let them help. Rule 4. Protect your passwords. This one's simple. Keep your passwords in a safe place, and don't tell them to anybody. Not even your best friend needs to know your passwords. Rule 5. Be nice. It's up to you to help make the internet a better place. Be nice to people and respect their feelings and beliefs. Most likely, they'll return the favour. Besides, you can get kicked off a website, email service, or even a phone network for being rude to other users. You'll notice that a lot of these rules involve checking stuff out with your parents or some other adults you trust. The online world can be a tricky place for kids to navigate without a little help. Right, BrainPop UK is a totally safe place for kids. That's why Moby and I hang out here so much. I don't know. What do you want to do? I don't know. What do you want to do? Oh, I know! Let's go outside and play Kung Fu Cowboys! I've had enough of the internet for today anyway. Hi-ya!"