|
|
Chat rooms and online messaging can be fantastic fun, but please remember, you can never really know who you are talking to. You always need to be alert and careful! Here are some tips to help you surf the web safely.
 Never use your real name in chat rooms – make up your own online nickname.
Never ever tell anyone details about you, your family or friends – such as your address, telephone number, or the school you go to. Please don't send them photos of yourself. No matter what the person tells it is extremely unwise (and can be dangerous) to give out any of your own person details. Be wise and surf safe!
Do not arrange to meet up with someone you have only spoken to online, they might not be who they say they are! If, however your parents/guardian agree, the make sure that you meet in a public place and that you have a responsible adult or a parents/guardian with you. The person who you are meeting should do the same to!
Never reply to rude or nasty messages. Remember you are in control and can log off when you wish! If you are in doubt about the conversation then save it, log off and talk to your parents or guardian about it. never send any either!
Never send any rude or nasty messages.
Take great care with any email attachments or links that people send you. The golden rule is: if you don't know who it's from then don't open it!
Have a life! Don't spend all your time sitting in front of a screen surfing the net, keep up your other interests. Don't turn in to a PC Potato!
Talk to you parents/guardians Let them know what you are doing online, whether it's homework or fun. Listen to what your parents/guardians have to say about surfing, follow their rules, it saves arguing!
Have fun! Enjoy the web but be safe and smart
For more information why not take a look at the NSPCC's Hands Off!. It's got tips on safe surfing and lots of other useful information. To download the magazine (it's a pdf, so you'll need Adobe's Acrobat Reader, which is free) click here, you'll be jumped to their website where you can download the magazine and check out the rest of their site.
|
|
|
