Safety
You use the same password for all your social media accounts. Someone hacks one of your accounts. What could happen?
The person could use your password to get into your other accounts. They could read your private messages, steal your information, or pretend to be you.
Remember: Use a different, strong password for each account.
A social media app asks to access your phone’s location. What should you do?
Choose “Don’t Allow” unless the app needs your location for a good reason. You can ask a trusted adult for help checking the app’s settings.
You feel sad or anxious after spending a lot of time on social media. What can you do to feel better?
Take a break from social media and do something you enjoy, like going for a walk, listening to music, or talking to a trusted person.
Someone you meet in an online game asks personal questions about your school and family. What should you do?
Do not share personal information. You can stop replying, block the person, and tell a trusted adult.
Someone you meet online asks you to keep your conversations a secret from your family. What should you do?
This is a red flag. Tell a trusted adult about the conversation. You should not feel pressured to keep secrets from your family, especially if someone makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Why is “BlueSky123” a better password than “Password123”? How could you make it even stronger?
"BlueSky123” is a little better because it does not use a common word like “Password.” However, both passwords are easy to guess. You can make the password stronger by using a mix of words, numbers, and symbols that are hard to guess (e.g., !@$) and mix upper and lower case (e.g., Blu3$ky!23)
You attend an event at a park, concert, or sports game and want to post about it on social media. What details should you avoid sharing?
Avoid sharing your exact location while you are still there, who you are with, or when you will leave. You can post about the event after you have left.
You compare yourself to others because of what you see on social media. What can you remind yourself?
Remind yourself that people often share only the best parts of their lives online. Everyone is different, and you do not need to look or live like someone else.
Another player in an online game sends you mean messages or makes you feel uncomfortable. What can you do?
You can stop replying, block the player, and report their messages. You can also tell a trusted adult what happened.
Someone messages you online and says they are a friend of your friend, but you do not recognize their name or profile picture. What should you do?
Do not share personal information or click any links they send. You can check with your friend in person to see if they know the person. If you feel unsure, you can ignore or block the message.
An online friend you have never met asks for your home address to send you a birthday gift. What should you do?
Never share your address with people you only know online, even if they offer you a gift. Tell a trusted adult.
You are creating an Instagram bio. What information is safe to include, and what information should you keep private?
You can include a hobby or favourite activity. You should not include your age, school name, home address, phone number, or personal information that could help strangers find you.
You spend several hours on social media each night and feel tired at school. What can you do?
Use your phone’s screen time settings to set a daily time limit for social media apps
Set a bedtime reminder to help you put your phone away before bed
Turn off your phone before bed
Leave your phone in a different room
You feel angry after losing an online game and want to send a mean message to another player. What could you do instead?
You can take a break, take a few deep breaths, and calm down before responding. You can choose not to send the message and move on to something else.
You discover someone has created a fake social media account using your name or pictures. What should you do?
Tell a trusted adult what happened.
Report the fake account to the social media app.
Ask friends not to accept messages or friend requests from the fake account.
Block the account if possible.
You are making a new social media account. The app asks for your name, birthday, and location. What information is safe to share, and what information should you keep private?
Only share the information needed to create your account.
Name: Use a username or nickname.
Birthday: Keep it private.
Location: Keep your exact location private.
Why should you think before posting something on social media, even if you can delete it later?
Other people can take screenshots or save your post before you delete it. They may share it with others. Once something is online, it can be hard to remove completely.
What are some signs that you might be spending too much time on social media?
Feel tired or irritable because you stay up late online.
Feel sad or anxious after using social media.
Ignore homework, friends, or other activities.
Find it hard to stop scrolling.
How can you keep your personal information safe while playing online games?
Use a nickname instead of your real name, keep your school and location private, and never share your phone number, address, or passwords with other players.
You read something online that seems unbelievable. How can you check if it is true?
Check who wrote the article and where it came from.
Look for the same information on other trusted websites.
Ask a trusted adult if I am unsure.
You get a message saying your social media account has been hacked. It tells you to click a link to reset your password. What should you do first?
Do not click the link. You can open the official app or website to check your account. You can also ask a trusted adult for help and update your password if needed.
Why should you think about your privacy and other people’s privacy before posting online?
Protect your personal information and respect other people’s privacy. You should ask permission before posting pictures or sharing personal information about someone else.
How can you use social media in a way that supports your mental health and well-being?
Follow accounts that make you feel good, unfollow or mute accounts that make you feel bad, take breaks from social media, and spend time doing activities you enjoy.
Someone you meet in an online game asks to video chat or meet in person. What should you do?
Politely refuse. Do not agree to video chat or meet in person on your own. Talk to a trusted adult before doing anything.
Meeting in person: Never go alone. Talk to a trusted adult first. If the meeting is approved, have the adult go with you and meet in a public place.
Video chat: Ask a trusted adult before agreeing. Blur your background and make sure it does not show personal information, such as your address, school name, or family photos.
How can you tell if a website or message is trying to trick you into sharing personal information?
Look for warning signs, such as:
Asking for your password or personal information.
Offering free prizes that seem too good to be true.
Telling you to click a link right away.
Having spelling mistakes or a strange website address.