Online Safety Tips for Teens

No one will argue with the fact that the Internet is a great way to express yourself. It is just a perfect place to communicate with friends, meet new ones, share interesting information, and do many other things. Most likely, you spend much time on social networking sites or simply surfing the web in search of the latest news and trends. If you do, you need to know that along with all the opportunities offered by the Internet, it is also a very dangerous place not only for teens but also for everyone. Just think about it! Not only are there spammers, hackers, and viruses – the Internet is also full of cyber bullies, online predators, and all types of perverts waiting for innocent teens and easily credulous adults. Think this will never happen to you? Hope, you are right! However, several online safety tips never hurt!

1. Talk with your parents. Open communication with your parents is always a good start for staying protected online. Tell about your interests, show the websites you are going to, ask how to find the information you need, etc. The more you talk with your parents, the more chances you have to avoid potential online problems.

2. Think about what you are going to post. Remember, nothing disappears from the Internet completely. You need to be very careful with everything you post about yourself, your friends, and your family. All those offensive messages, abusive pictures, rude comments, etc. can stay with you for a very long time, so don’t forget about the Internet memory next time you are going to post something inappropriate. [1]

3. Act online like you do offline. Keep in mind that to download pirated music and movies, hack into another person’s account, or write “hate” messages and emails is just as illegal online as it is illegal in real life. Such acts are forbidden by law and can entail unpleasant consequences.

4. Don’t reveal your personal information. Your real name, phone number, address, school, and other personal information are not the things to tell someone you really don’t know. The truth is that online predators can easily figure out your identity using even a piece of your personal information, so always keep it in secret. [2]

5. Don’t meet with strangers. No matter how good your new online friend seems to be, don’t meet with them in real life until you are completely sure you can trust them. Even in such a case, it is always better to bring your parents with you and to meet in a public place.

6. Keep your username and password private. Just like you should not provide your personal information to strangers, you should not provide your username and password to anyone, including your friends. Even if such an act starts as a joke, it may end with lots of problems, for you, in particular. Therefore, it is always recommended to keep them secret.

These online safety tips are very simple yet very effective, so why not use them? Each time you go on the Internet, remember about all that dangers you may face and be very careful. This is the only way to stay protected online!

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