Your Privacy (any personal information, name, pictures, birth dates, addresses and phone numbers) can be manipulated and badly exploited once put on the web; the private information you share on the net can no longer be deleted or recovered if shared, thus it is recommended that you do not place any such information on the net before consulting with your parents and guardians.

When talking to strangers and meeting them on the net, you should be aware that they are not necessarily the person they are claiming to be, as they might be impersonating another person, having a fake age and identity. They could be in reality a kidnapper or a hacker, thus it is highly recommended not to talk or meet with a stranger in chat rooms without the knowledge of your parents or guardians.

Your actions over the web should be ethical and respectful to others; you should balance your time on the web, leaving room for your personal hobbies and your studies. Use the Internet for your benefit, and do not limit your social life to the virtual world.

Cyber Bullying Tips

Cyber bullying is a form of intimidation and harassment using electronic means such as email, text messages, chat rooms, and social networking sites.

Cyber bullying can take many forms. Some bullies attack by sending insulting or threatening emails or cell phone text messages. Others attack on social networking sites by creating hate groups. A few attack in multiple formats at the same time, leaving their victims feeling constantly under siege.

Steps to prevent cyber bullying:

• Know your friends. Some teens put themselves and their information at risk by accepting people they don’t actually know as online Friends. They seem to believe that everybody does this. That’s not true. A 2008 study of teen social networking site users by University of California researchers found that only 5% of teens had online friends they didn’t actually know offline. So feel more comfortable next time you ignore a friend request from someone you don’t recognize.
• Limit the information you post. Never include personally identifying data like your home address or phone number. This can protect you from identity assault.
• Set your Privacy settings carefully. Social networking sites now allow you to designate privacy settings on virtually everything you post—status updates, photos, group memberships—as you makes those postings. Carefully consider how public you want to be about your private life. Don’t think just because you set your page to private that it cannot be accessed.
• Know what your Friends post about you—in photos as well as in words. Your friends may not be as concerned with protecting your privacy as you are.
• Trust your instincts. If a new Friend begins to creep you out, un-friend them. Fast.
• Think before you click. Don’t forget that you can’t take something back once you hit send or post. If you’re not sure whether something’s appropriate, it’s probably not. Be especially careful about posting anything when you’re mad or upset. If you find yourself seething about something you’ve read online, take a break away from your computer before you respond.
• Report abuse. Actions online can do more than hurt. Reporting abuse might even prevent a suicide. How would you feel if you knew and DIDN’T say anything? Is that something you want to carry around with you for the rest of your life?
• Don’t bully yourself. Think carefully before each and every post. Too much online reputation damage is self-inflected when people post first and think later.
• Don’t bully others. Treating others the way you want to be treated is never a bad decision. It will also protect you from cyber-attacks in retribution.

Social Media Tips

• Watch out what you post. Don’t reveal your full name, address, phone number, or school.
• Stay in your age group. If you’re 13, don’t pretend to be 19. That could put you in conversations and discussions that are uncomfortable because you’re not quite emotionally ready for them.
• Don’t post content you wouldn’t want your parents to see. Remember that information you post today could come back to haunt you when you are trying to get a scholarship or a job.
• Understand the privacy settings for the social networking site you use. Then use those privacy settings!
• Even if you lock down your profile and define your postings as private, don’t assume that no one can see them. Some malware specifically targets “private” pages.
• Remember that you’re not the only person you know with a camera or webcam. Keep tabs on any photos or videos your friends are posting that might feature you.
• Don’t take Friends at face value unless you’ve actually looked at their faces. That 16-year-old girl you met online might be a 65-year-old man.
• Don’t let anyone talk you into doing anything you find creepy or feel uncomfortable about. That especially means anything that involves your webcam. Inappropriate videos NEVER go away.
• Never ever meet anyone Face to Face for the first time by yourself. This is pretty self-explanatory but the most critical deterrent to online creeps.