Staying Safe, Kind and Private Online

Your favorite animal might be a frog. Thousands of children like frogs! Your full name and school are different. Those details can help someone work out who you are.

What needs to stay private?

Personal information can show who you are, where you are, or how to contact you. It includes your full name, address, birthday, school, phone number, email address, and photos of your face. Your password is personal too. Keep it secret.

A favorite food or color usually fits many people. On its own, it is usually fine to share. Public information is meant for everyone, such as library opening hours. Your family's information is yours to protect, even when a friendly website asks for it.

Look beyond the words

A photo can show clues you did not mean to share. Look for a house number, street sign, school logo, team name, or license plate. A phone may also save the place where a photo was taken. Ask your parent or carer to turn that location saving off.

Small clues can join up. A post showing your school and another naming your street tell more together. Think about your earlier posts when checking a new one.

Your username, or screen name, can give clues too. Leave out your real name, age, birthday, school, and town. A fun made-up name lets you play without telling people those details.

Check a profile together

Nina is making a game profile with her dad.

1. The box says "Favorite animal." Nina chooses "frog." That fits lots of children.
2. Another box says "School." She stops. This could tell someone where to find her.
3. Her photo shows her school badge. She chooses a drawing instead.
4. She changes "NinaHill2017" to "VelvetComet." The new name leaves out personal clues.

The game can collect and save information you enter on the company's computers. It may also record what you click or watch. Ask a parent or carer before signing up or entering personal details. Together, check what the app really needs.

Before you send a picture or fill in a form, pause. Ask a parent, carer, or teacher before sharing personal information. That includes competitions, new accounts, and photos of yourself.

Who will see it?

A private message goes to one person. A group chat reaches everyone in the group. A public post can reach anyone, including strangers. Anyone who gets your message can save or forward it.

Privacy settings help you choose who sees your posts and sends you messages. A private account limits posts to people you approve. A public account lets anyone see them. Set up the most private useful choices with your parent or carer. Even approved friends can take screenshots, so a private account still needs careful sharing.

Keep location sharing off unless your parent or carer has switched it on for a reason. For example, your family might use it to check you arrived at school. Do not share your location with people you only know online.

Accept friend requests only from people you know in real life. Leave an uncertain request alone and ask a trusted adult to check it.

Other people get a say

Ask before sharing someone else's photo, video, or personal details. A "no" means do not share it. Leave out pictures that could embarrass or upset someone, even if you think they are funny.

If someone shares an unwanted picture of you, ask them to remove it. Tell a trusted adult if they refuse or the post is mean. The adult can help you report it.

Get a photo ready to share

Omar wants to send a photo from a craft afternoon.

1. He asks the two friends in the photo. Both agree to share it with their families.
2. He notices a phone number on a paper behind them. He picks another photo without the paper.
3. He checks the chat. It is a large club chat, not the family chat he meant to use.
4. He selects the family chat and asks his mom before sending.

The friends agreed to that audience. Their permission did not mean Omar could post the photo anywhere.

Your online actions leave a trail called your digital footprint. A drawing you post, a game comment, and a photo someone shares of you can all become part of it.

A trail you do not always see

Some parts are things you choose to share. Other parts come from apps recording your searches, clicks, or videos watched. Friends can add to your footprint by posting a picture or tagging your name.

A post can last after you delete it. Someone may already have saved a screenshot or forwarded a copy. A message that disappears can still be photographed with another device.

Your online reputation is what people think of you from your online trail. Kind, helpful comments help people see that side of you. Mean comments can hurt someone and change how others see you. Schools, clubs, and later employers may see old posts.

Pause before posting

Ask yourself:

• Would I be happy for my teacher or grandparent to see this?
• Does it share personal information about anyone?
• Could it hurt or embarrass someone?

If a question makes you unsure, hold the post back.

Rosa sees a classmate's drawing and starts typing, "That looks awful." She pauses. Those words would hurt the artist, and a screenshot could keep them around. Rosa changes the message to "I like the bright wings. How did you draw them?" Her new comment shows interest and kindness.

You can share work you are proud of with an adult's okay. Give credit when you share someone else's idea or picture. With your parent or carer, you can also search for your name and look at what is already online about you.

Your username chooses your account. Your password is the secret that lets you log in. A PIN is a short secret made of numbers, often used to unlock a device.

Choose words that are not about you

A strong password is long and hard to guess. "123456" and "password" are weak choices. Your name, birthday, or pet's name can be easy for others to guess too. Guessing programs can try common passwords very quickly.

A passphrase is a password made of several words. Build one like this:

1. Pick three random words that are unrelated to you and each other.
2. Join them into one long secret.
3. Add numbers or symbols if the account requires them.
4. Picture a silly scene to help you remember.

For example, "OtterLanternCactus" brings together three unrelated words. Picture an otter carrying a lantern past a cactus. Make your own secret words with your parent or carer.

Three personal words are still guessable. "BellaDancePurple" is weak if Bella is your dog, dance is your hobby, and purple is your favorite color. Adding "1" to a common password also leaves a common guess.

Why length helps

Each random choice gives a guesser more possibilities. A four-digit PIN has 10 choices in each place:

Now choose three random words from a list of 1,000. Each time, all 1,000 words are available:

That is one billion combinations. Long, random choices make guessing harder; personal clues make guessing easier.

Keep the secret safe

Share your password only with your parent or carer. For a school account, share it with your teacher if school asks you to. Do not give it to friends. A friend with your password could read messages or send them as you.

If you need a written reminder, keep it in a private, safe place at home. Your parent or carer should know where it is. A note stuck to the screen or left in a school bag is easy for others to find.

If someone else learns your password, tell a trusted adult. Change it right away with their help.

A good password needs good habits around it. Use a different password for every account. Then one stolen password cannot unlock your other accounts too.

Give each account its own secret

Imagine three doors with the same key. Losing that key puts all three doors at risk. Reusing a password has the same problem: someone who steals it can try it elsewhere.

Eli uses one passphrase for a drawing account and a school account. The drawing account's password is stolen. A thief can try that same secret at school. With different passphrases, the stolen drawing password would not open his school account. The drawing account still needs fixing with adult help.

Finish on a shared computer

When you finish at school or the library, choose log out. That ends your login. Just closing a window may leave you signed in. The next person could open your account.

Do not let a shared computer remember your password. Your own tablet or phone needs a screen lock, such as a PIN, password, pattern, or fingerprint. Lock it when you put it down.

Add another check

Two-step verification adds a second login check after your password. A code sent to your parent's phone is one example. Someone who knows the password still needs that extra check. Ask your parent or carer to set it up for important accounts.

Updates often repair security problems. Let your parent or carer keep apps and devices up to date. Ask before downloading, and use the app store your family uses.

Notice when something changes

You see messages you did not send. Your password suddenly stops working. An unfamiliar person appears on your friend list. These can be signs that someone else has used your account. Tell a trusted adult so they can check it and help change the password.

A scam is a trick to take money or information. Phishing is a scam message pretending to be someone you trust. It might look like a message from school, a game, or a friend.

Notice what the message asks

Watch for a prize you never entered for, free items that usually cost money, a threat, or a rush. Requests for passwords and personal details are warning signs too. A real company or school does not ask you to send your password in a message.

A scam may have spelling errors or a slightly changed web address. It can also have perfect spelling and a copied logo. Look at the request, not just the picture.

Some fake addresses swap similar-looking letters. "rnygame.com" can look like "mygame.com" because "rn" resembles "m." Ask an adult to help you reach the real website another way. Do not follow an uncertain link to investigate it.

Work through a message

Tessa receives: "School trip photos ready! Send your school password now to keep your place."

1. She notices it asks for her password in a message.
2. The words "now" and "keep your place" push her to hurry.
3. She leaves the message unanswered and shows her dad.
4. They check with school through a contact they already know.

A familiar sender name does not make a strange request safe. A thief can take over a friend's account and send messages from it. Check with your friend another way, such as talking at school.

Get help after a click

If you already clicked or entered a password, tell a trusted adult right away. They can help change the password and report the scam. Hiding it gives the trick more time to cause harm.

If a pop-up claims your device has a virus or you won a phone, do not click inside it. Ask an adult to help close it.

Someone using another person's information or account to pretend to be them is committing identity theft. Protecting your information and getting help quickly can limit that harm.

Someone real reads the words you send. They have feelings, just like you. Be as kind in a chat as you would be face to face.

Make your meaning clear

People cannot hear your voice in a typed message. "Fine." might sound angry when you meant "Yes, that's fine!" ALL CAPITAL LETTERS can look like shouting. An emoji can help, but people may read it differently. Add clear words when your meaning could be missed.

Before posting, try THINK: Is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind? "Inspiring" means encouraging someone. If a message fails the check, change it or leave it unsent.

Disagree about the idea

You can have a different idea and stay respectful. Cole wants the team to build a tall tower. You want a wide base.

1. Name the idea you want to discuss: the base.
2. Give a reason: a wider base could help the tower stand.
3. Write, "Could we make the base wider to keep it steady?"

"Your tower is stupid" attacks Cole and gives him no useful help.

Share a chat fairly

Everyone in a group chat sees its messages. Ask before adding someone, and before sharing another person's photo or information. Never create a group to leave someone out or talk about them.

Play games fairly. Say "good game" whether you win or lose. Do not spoil another player's game on purpose. If you get angry, step away. You can mute or block someone who is being unkind. Tell a trusted adult if a chat keeps turning mean.

A code of conduct is a set of rules everyone agrees to follow. Your family or class could choose "Ask before sharing photos" and "Get adult help when someone feels unsafe."

If your joke hurts someone, stop and say sorry. Calling it a joke does not take away their hurt. A helpful apology names what you did: "I'm sorry I called your tower stupid. That was unkind."

Cyberbullying means using devices or apps to hurt, scare, or embarrass someone on purpose. It usually happens again and again. The person being hurt finds it hard to stop.

What can bullying look like?

It can be threatening messages, cruel comments, rumors, or embarrassing pictures. People may repeatedly leave someone out, gang up in a game, or pretend to be them using a fake account.

One argument between friends on equal terms is different from bullying. Still, you can ask for help with any hurtful message. You do not need to wait for it to happen again.

A cruel post can spread quickly. Many people may share the same post, keeping the hurt going. Phones can bring that harm home after school too.

If it happens to you

Stop replying. Hitting back can make things worse. Tell a trusted adult and show them what happened. They can help save ordinary bullying messages, then report and block the account. Being bullied is never your fault.

Be an upstander

A bystander sees bullying. An upstander does something safe to help.

A group keeps posting lies about Mateo. Erin sees a new post.

1. She does not like it, add laughing emojis, or forward it.
2. She sends Mateo a private message: "That was unkind. I'll help you tell our teacher."
3. She reports the hurtful post.
4. She tells her teacher what she saw.

Erin helps without arguing with the people posting. Forwarding the rumor to show disapproval would still spread it.

If you have hurt someone, you can help repair the harm. Remove your post if you can, apologize to the person, and stop the behavior. Ask an adult for help if the post has already spread.

An online stranger is someone you have only met online. Playing together every day does not change that. A classmate you know in person is different from a player whose name you only see on a screen.

A profile can be made up

Names, ages, and pictures can all be invented. A person who types "I'm nine too" might be an adult. Most people online are friendly, but some try to trick children.

Watch for someone asking your school, address, or phone number. Gifts, sudden claims of close friendship, photo requests, and invitations to private chats can also be warning signs. A request to hide the chat from your family is a reason to stop and tell.

Follow an uncomfortable feeling

A player called "DizzyAcorn" offers Lena a rare game item. They say, "Send your photo on another app. Don't tell your dad."

1. Lena notices the gift is tied to a photo request.
2. Moving apps would take the chat somewhere else.
3. Keeping it from her dad feels wrong. She does not send anything.
4. She shows her dad, who helps report and block the player.

You do not owe someone a photo or a reply because they gave you a gift.

Surprises have an ending

A birthday surprise stays quiet for a short time. The person finds out soon. A secret that worries you or must be hidden from your family is different. Safe adults do not ask you to keep worrying secrets from your parent or carer.

If someone asks for a picture of you without clothes on, do not reply or send anything. Tell a trusted adult right away. The person asking did something wrong; it is not your fault. Tell an adult if someone sends you a picture like that too.

Do not arrange to meet an online-only person on your own. Meet only if your parent or carer agrees and comes with you. Use voice chat or video calls only with people you know in real life, with your parent's or carer's okay.

A video, picture, or comment might make you feel scared or worried. You can come across upsetting things even while looking for something ordinary. Seeing them is not your fault.

Stop, turn away, tell

Stop watching or clicking. Turn the screen off, close the laptop, or turn the tablet face down. Tell a trusted adult what you saw and how you feel. Do not forward it to friends. Your adult can help report it.

Your body may give you clues: a tight stomach, tears, a fast heartbeat, or an image you cannot stop thinking about. Tell someone about those feelings too. If a friend wants to show you something upsetting, say "I don't want to watch that" and walk away.

Pictures and posts need checking

People can edit photos, cut videos, or use computer programs to make scenes that never happened. A realistic picture can still show something made up.

A fact can be checked and shown to be true. "A triangle has three sides" is a fact. An opinion tells what someone thinks or feels. "Triangles make the prettiest patterns" is an opinion. Many people agreeing with a preference does not turn it into a fact.

Before believing or sharing a surprising claim, ask who made it and why. Look for the same information on a trusted news or museum website with adult help.

A post shows a giant butterfly landing on a bus. It says, "Found downtown today!" Dev thinks it looks exciting. He checks who posted it, then asks his mom to help find a trusted report. They cannot confirm it, so he leaves it unshared. A striking picture alone is not enough to trust the claim.

A post shows only a little

A photo might show someone's happiest moment, with a filter added. It does not show their whole day. Comparing your whole life with that chosen moment can make you feel bad. Take a break and tell a trusted adult if posts leave you worried or left out.

A trusted adult knows you in real life, listens, and helps keep you safe. A parent, carer, grandparent, teacher, or school counselor might be one. Choose several so another person is there when one is busy.

Start the conversation

You can say, "I need help with something that happened online." Tell them what happened, which app or game you used, who was involved, and how you feel. Show the screen if you can. You can ask for help even when you clicked something or made a mistake.

If the first adult does not listen or help, tell another. Keep telling until someone helps. A threat to hurt you or someone else needs adult help immediately. If someone is in danger now, the adult can call the emergency number.

Choose the right button

• Block stops that account from contacting you. It does not erase old messages.
• Mute quiets alerts, hides posts, or silences a voice, depending on the app. Messages can still be sent.
• Report sends the problem to the app's safety team for review. They can remove content or close an account.

Most apps do not tell the person who reported them. Ask an adult to help find these buttons.

Show what happened safely

Zoe gets repeated threatening text messages in a game. She stops replying and tells her aunt. Together, they save the messages and note the screen name, date, and game. Then they report and block the account. The saved messages help show what happened, even after blocking.

Never save, screenshot, or forward a picture of someone without clothes on. Tell an adult right away and let them report it.

Reporting harm gets people help; it is not tattling.

Many places have free, confidential children's helplines. A trained helper can listen by phone or online chat. Your teacher or another trusted adult can help find the right service where you live.

Games, apps, and videos can have age rules. Check them with your parent or carer before signing up, downloading, or watching.

Two different age checks

A minimum age is the youngest age an app says may use it. Many social and chat apps set it at 13. Some countries set an older age for social media. The rule can protect children from contact or features made for older users.

An age rating helps families judge the content. It may warn about violence, scary scenes, or bad language. It does not measure how clever you are or how well you play.

Look at the box, store page, or app listing for a rating. Read the app's rules with your adult to find its minimum age. Also check separate notes about chats, purchases, and location sharing. A suitable content rating does not make every player safe to talk to.

Make the decision together

Hazel is eight. A chat app says users must be at least 13. Her older cousin uses it and says she could enter a different birthday.

1. Hazel checks her real age against the rule. She is too young.
2. A false birthday would break the rules and could remove protections for younger users.
3. She talks with her dad about another way to stay in touch.
4. They choose an activity that allows her age and check its chat settings.

The fact that friends use an app does not change its age rule. If an app asks for your birthday, tell the truth. Your parent or carer can help you enter it safely.

When a game says it is suitable for your age, check how you feel too. Tell your adult about anything scary or uncomfortable. They can help choose something that suits you.

You can use screens to learn, create, play, or talk with family. Balance means leaving enough time for the other things you need too: sleep, movement, homework, play, and people.

Give your body breaks

Sore eyes, a headache, a stiff neck, or feeling grumpy can mean you need a break. Take regular breaks before you feel worn out. Eye doctors suggest the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look about 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for 20 seconds.

Stand up, stretch, and move around often. Sit comfortably with the screen at a comfortable distance. Make time to play outside each day. Looking into the distance rests your eyes; moving gives the rest of your body a break too.

Leave time for sleep

Children ages 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep in each 24 hours. Sleep helps you grow, learn, and feel good. Exciting games and bright screens can make falling asleep harder. Switch screens off about an hour before bedtime, and keep devices outside your bedroom overnight.

Milo's bedtime is 8:00 p.m. He wakes at 6:30 a.m.

1. From 8:00 p.m. to midnight is four hours.
2. Midnight to 6:30 a.m. adds six hours and 30 minutes.
3. That leaves 10 hours and 30 minutes for sleep.
4. One hour before bed is 7:00 p.m. That is his screen stopping time.

Agree on a plan

A family screen plan sets times, places, and stopping routines together. You might keep meals screen-free, finish homework before a game, and set a timer before you start. Decide what you will do when it rings, such as save your work and put the device away.

Notice your feelings during and after screen time. If a game leaves you angry or a chat makes you feel left out, step away and tell a trusted adult. You can take a break before the timer rings. The plan helps you make space for what your day needs.