Today is Safer Internet Day (SID) around the world. Recognized in hundreds of countries, the day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology. People can explore the role they play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon us all to join together in helping to create a better internet.
Below are some tips to consider to help you enjoy the internet safely:
Tips for youth:
· Be the change: Play your part in making the internet a better place. Be positive, show respect and help people if they are upset.
· Be sensible: Always tell a trusted adult if you are ever worried or upset by something that happens online. They are always there for you to ask for help if you are unsure about anything you see online.
· Be careful: Keep your personal information safe and check with an adult before you share anything online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.
· Be aware: Make sure you know the rules about how to behave and stay safe on the sites, games and apps you use. Look out for buttons that let you block, mute and report other users who aren’t behaving.
· Be a detective: The internet is full of brilliant things to watch, explore and learn from but not everything or everyone online can be trusted. Think carefully by checking at least three different websites for your information and talking to someone about what you have seen to see if they agree.
Tips for parents:
· Be engaged: Talk regularly with your children about how they use technology, and find out what their digital life is like, including how they communicate using images and videos. Perhaps you can start off by discussing your favourite emojis?
· Be aware: Explore the online features of the devices you already own in your family and the devices you might buy for your child in the future. Knowing how to activate and use parental controls can help protect your child from seeing inappropriate content online.
· Be there: The most important thing is to ensure that you are there if something goes wrong. Your child might be very embarrassed to discuss the issue they are facing so reassure them that they can turn to you no matter what.
· Be thoughtful: The internet provides a platform for billions of people to share their views and opinions but not everything or everyone online is trustworthy. Encourage your children to think critically about the things they see online including the images and videos they view on social media. Discussing what they have seen and the message behind a photo or a video can help them consider the difference between fact and opinion, and that there is sometimes more than meets the eye.
For more on Safer Internet Day, please visit:https://www.saferinternet.org.uk or the Canadian Centre for Child Protection athttps://www.protectchildren.ca/app/en.
To report dangerous situations or children at risk, Cyber Tip Canada can be used to remain anonymous athttps://www.cybertip.ca or call your local police or RCMP Detachment.
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Source: Media Release