On+the+Internet.+Tips+for+Children

toc __** Tips for children: **__

**1. Digital Footprint:**
Everything you post online combines to make your digital footprint. Remember that what you share with your friends may also be viewed by people you don’t know. And once something is online, it will be there forever even if you are not able to see it anymore. So: a. Think before you post. b. Keep your personal details prívate. Use a nickname instead of your real name and always ask your parents before giving out any personal data (name, address, phone number, school…). c. Do not share your username or password with anyone. d. Do not post things you don’t want others to know about or that you wouldn’t say to their face. e. Be respectful of other people’s content that you post or share. For example, a photo that your friend took is their property, not yours. You should post it online only if you have their permission.

**2. Netiquette:**
Sometimes it is easy to forget that there is a real persono n the other end of your IM. It is easier to say and do things online that you might not do on real life. This may hurt the person’s feelings or make them feel unsafe or embarrassed. It is important to treat people online the same way that you would face to face. a. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Avoid using bad language or offensive things. b. Make sure you follow your “netiquette”. Understand what is aceptable to do and what is not. For example, if you tipe a message to someone in UPPER CASE they may think you are shouting at them. c. Take care of yourself: if someone says something rude or something that makes you feel unconfortable, do not respond. Leave the chat rooum or foum you are using and tell an adult you trust.

**3. Cyberbulling:**
Sometimes people can be mean on the internet just as some people are mean in real life. If someone is being mean to you while you are ontthe internet or on a mobile phone: a. Tell an adult about it, maybe your parents, maybe your teacher…Keep telling them until they help. b. Don’t answer any of the mean comments. Save them, print them and show them to a parent or a teacher. c. Get a parent or a teacher to help you block them so they can’t contact you any more. d. Report them to the web page host so they get blocked. e. Remember it isn’t your fault if someone is mean online. Nobody should be bullied. Do not be afraid of being blame by your parents even if you sharednon proper information or uploaded inapropriate images. f. If somebody you know is being mean to somebody else: · Don’t join in. Even if their comments are funny and you think they are true…if they might hurt another person do not join in. · Don’t share any mean pictures or videos. · Don’t spread mean gossip. · Report bullying to an adult even if you are not directly involve in it. Tell a teacher or a parent what is happening. If you are scared you can writte a letter and post it under their door. · Support the person that is being bullied. Tell them you are sorry they are being picked on.

**4. How to use Mobiles:**
a. Only give your mobile number to people you know and trust. Do not give out other people’s numbers without their permission. b. Think before you send. If you don’t want comments or images to go public, don’t send them. c. Don’t send picture messages to people you don’t know in the real world. Even if you are friends online, you don’t know who they are unless you’ve met them face to face. If you are asked to send a picture messge by so,eone you don’t know in the real world, tell a trusted adult. d. Don’t accept offers that sound too good to be true. You may end up with unesxpectedly high phone bills. Check with your parents before acceptin any offers, like “free” ring tones. e. If your phone is lost or is stolen, ask your parents to notify your network carrier and to the pólice. f. If you use Bluetooth, ask your parents to help you change the settings so tha the phone is not “discoverable”. This means that it can be discovered by other Bluetooth-enabled devices. Keeping your phone undiscoverable is a good protection against hackers. g. Do not reply to nasty messages. If you get an upsetting message, tell an adult you trust. Make sure that the messages you send to others will not be upsetting to them.

**5. Offensive Content:**
Sometimes when surfing the internet you may come across material that makes you or somebody else feel unconfortable or upset. So protect yourself: a. Talk to an adult you trust (parents, teacher…) b. Know how to “escape”: hit //control-alt-delete// if the site will not allow you to exit. c. Understand that some sites are not meant for kids. So leave that site straight away.

**6. Social networking and online friends:**
There are a lot of good points about keeping in tocuh with online friends but there are also some risks with meeting people online, especially if you don’t know them in real life. When joining a social networking site and chatting with people online: a. Set your profile private: customise your profile so only your friends can see it. Ask an adult for help or look for the Help section on the site you are using. b. Keep your personal details private. Avoid posting personal information (full name, addres, mobile phone, school….) c. Keep your password secret. Don’t even share it with your friends. d. Manage your friend list. Having too many online friends makes it hard to manage who can access to your information. Don’t accept friend requests if you’re not sure about the person. e. Be careful who you trust online. A person can pretend to be someone they are not. If you want to arrange to meet someone you’ve met online, check with a parent first and ask them to go with you. Always meet in a public place during the day. f. Anything you add to your social networking site can be copied or printed, so if you want to put pictures up on your site, think before you post them. Remember that your site may be seen by strangers and once a picture is online, it’s online forever. g. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Avoid using bad language and don’t say nasty things. If someone writes something rude, scary or something you don’t like, tell your parents or another adult you trust.

**7. Staying Legal:**
a. Respect other people’s content. If you want to psot content or images that aren’t yours, ask first. Check with a trusted adult before you pass on content that you find online to other people. b. Read the terms and conditions of any photo-sharing sites or other sites on which you can post information. c. Download sites can also contain virus and nasty pictures. Make sure you ask a parent for permission before you download anything.

**8. Unwanted contact:**
You might meet someone or see something online that is unpleasant or makes you feel uncomfortable. This could be messages from someone you met online who starts asking personal questions or sends you photos that are upsetting or that you don’t like. It can sometimes be from someone you know offline. If this happens you should: a. Tell a trusted adult (parents, teacher…) b. Do not respond. Leave the site or chat session straight away. c. Block the contact, using your “ignore” list or with filtering software. d. Keep the evidence, it can be used to track the person. Save the message, print it and show it to an adult. e. Report it or ask your parents to contact your internet service provider or the website administrator and report it to the police if there is a threat to your safety. f. Set your profile to “private”. Your personal details should not be revealed and it’s harder for people you don’t know to contact you.

** Activity: Design your own Personal Code of Conduct on the Internet. **
A code of conduct is a set of rules that outlines the responsabilities and proper practices that you would follow when surfing or working on the Internet. Your code should have ten principles or precepts you will follow and respect. To design them read the previous information and decide which pillars will guide you when surfing or working on the internet.Write short clear sentences for each precept. When your code is ready post it to your teacher by email. Do not forget to tag your mail in a clear way: write your group and "Personal Code of Conduct for the Internet" on Subject.