The internet is full of great stuff - you can catch up with friends, chat and play games. However, you need to be careful about what you do and what information you reveal about yourself online. Follow these top internet safety tips.
- Be careful about what you share online - protect your online reputation by learning how to manage your digital footprint.
- Think before you post - do not put anything online that you would not want your parents, teachers or friends to see. Once you have pressed send it is no longer private. Find out more about sexting and how to stay in control.
- Never share passwords - use strong passwords with a combination of numbers, letters and characters. Don't use the same password for different sites and never tell anyone else what your passwords are.
- Be careful who you chat to - don't accept friend requests from people you don't know, or share personal information with strangers. Learn the signs that someone may be trying to groom you online.
- Use reliable sites to download music, games and films - do not use pirate sites to download content.
How to report somebody
If someone has made you feel weird or uncomfortable online you can report it. It could be sexual chat, being asked to do something you don't want to on webcam or someone asking to meet up.
- Talk to someone you trust about it, either a friend or family member.
- Contact ChildLine for advice and support.
- Report somebody to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre.
Stay safe on social media
When using social media sites its important to know how to adjust the privacy settings and where to find help if you want to block or delete someone.
- Facebook safety tips - Advice on staying safe and how to review your privacy settings
- Instagram safety tips - Safety tips and community guidelines
- Snapchat safety tips - Safety centre
- Twitter safety tips for teens - Tips for teens
- YouTube safety tips - Teen safety
Other sites that might be useful
- ChildLine - How to stay safe online.
- Thinkuknow - Find out what's good and what's not so good online.
- UK Safer Internet Centre - Advice on how to use the internet safely, responsibly and positively.
You can also watch some videos where students at The Towers Convent School and St Philip Howard Catholic School give their views on what healthy relationships, consent and online safety mean to them.