Digital Privacy and Security
It's okay to share my full name with anyone online.
NO! This is too personal to share with strangers online.
If you see an ad that sounds too good to be true, you should click on it. Everyone loves a good deal!
NO! If an ad sounds too good to be true, it is. That means it isn't really a good deal, and is probably a trick or attempt to steal your information.
I can post, share, and click as much as I want while I'm in elementary school. A digital footprint doesn't start until I'm in high school.
NO! A digital footprint starts the moment you connect to the internet, no matter how old you are.
Plagiarism is taking someone else's words or ideas and pretending they are your own.
YES! If you use some of someone else's ideas, you have to give them credit. That means putting in the text the name of the person that had the ideas first. Plagiarism is stealing.
Cyberbullying is when someone posts or shares hurtful or mean things about someone online.
YES! Not all bullying is pushing and punching. Cyberbullying can happen anywhere, at any time, and sometimes we don't know who is posting the content. It is important to tell a trusted adult if this happens to you or someone you know.
Is it safe practice to use my name in screen names and handles online?
No! Strangers don't need to know my real name. Work hard to protect your identity when you are online.
Your friend showed you a news article that said there's a new food ingredient that can turn your pet human. You should click on the 'BUY NOW' link. Wouldn't it be cool if your pet goldfish could be human?!?
NO! This sounds like a fake news story that could be used to steal your information or put a virus on your computer. Close the page, or get an adult to help close the page (Sometimes they pop up and can be hard to close).
If I click on something online, it isn't connected to the 'real' me in real life. It's just on the internet.
NO! The things you do on the internet have real-life consequences and impact real-life people.
Plagiarism is okay if you are in elementary school, since you are just learning how to do research and write papers.
NO! It is not okay to plagiarize. If you are old enough to do research, you are old enough to learn to cite correctly. If you aren't sure how to cite, ask your teacher.
If you are mad at someone, it's okay to share an embarrassing picture or post to get even. It's just the internet.
NO! What happens on the internet has real-life consequences. This could be considered cyberbullying.
The internet can be a fun place to communicate, research, play games, and relax.
Yes! But we have to be sure to protect ourselves. There are strangers online, just like there are strangers in real life.
You can trust quotes from famous people on the internet. I found this one online.
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln
I know I can trust Abraham Lincoln's opinion!
No! You can't believe everything you read on the internet, but there's no way Abraham Lincoln said that. Be sure to fact check quotes, even from famous people, from history or current famous people.
My future boss could make decisions about hiring me based on images, posts, and shares I make.
YES! Information you put on the internet is used to make decisions about the kind of person you are in real life. Be careful about what you post and share online.
Paraphrasing means taking information from the sources that you read but writing it in your own way with your own words.
YES! In order to learn about something new, we often have to research and read other people's work. We can paraphrase what we read and cite their work as where we got our ideas from.
If someone posts something online that is hurtful or embarrassing, others can join in and laugh and post mean comments. This can make cyberbullying worse.
YES! When mean things are posted online, people forget that their online actions have real-life consequences. People usually don't join real-life bullying, but often join cyberbullying by posting mean comments.
Pictures of me are considered personal information. I shouldn't share them online.
Yes! Pictures of yourself, your address, your phone number, and your birthday shouldn't be shared online.
You see an ad for a free iPhone, if I share the ad with 100 people. That's easy and I'll get a new phone!
NO! This is a click-bait ad. Not only will you NOT get a new phone, but you could end up with a virus or other malware on your computer, and you could have your information stolen.
A college could make decisions about letting me go to their college based on things I post and share on social media.
YES! College admissions decisions could be negatively impacted based on things you share or post on social media.
Citing means to write down where you got the information and including this information in your paper. The list of sources could be at the bottom of your paper.
YES! Citing the source of the original information is an important step to avoid plagiarism. Including a list of sources can help others do more research for themselves.
NO! You can report posts and comments that are mean or hurtful. Social media platforms have rules against cyberbullying and they can take action against a user who breaks those rules.
What I do online is just for me. No one, not even my parents, need to know what I do online.
No! Trusted adults should be included in your online activities. If anyone tells you what you are doing online should be a secret from trusted adults in your life, LEAVE the conversation and TELL a trusted adult.
There are storms coming through the area tomorrow morning. You read a post on social media that says your school is closed. You don't need to do anything else, just believe the social media post. No School!
NO! You should fact check. That means you should check other trusted sites to make sure the information is correct. The school's district and social media pages, local news channels, and even texts and call-outs from the school will help you verify if school is really cancelled.
A digital footprint is made up of things that are posted, shared, comments left, and purchases made online. A digital footprint is permanent.
YES! A digital footprint contains everything you do online and is permanent.
You could get kicked out of college for plagiarizing.
YES! Colleges have strict rules against plagiarizing, and include a possibility of kicking you out (expelling you) from their school.
If something upsets me on the internet, I can let a trusted adult know.
YES! You can share what you've seen or read online with a trusted adult. They can help you talk through and think through what happens online.