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Your safety online is really important, you should take care not to share information with people you do not know and never agree to meet someone you have met through the internet
Some useful links:
http://www.walkwoodms.worcs.sch.uk/Safeguarding-and-Child-Protection
https://www.lourdesit.org.uk/e-safety-for-schools/
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers
Chatting
Using the internet has become a really fun way of keeping in touch with friends and family. There are loads of ways of doing this, including instant messaging apps, chat rooms and through gaming and blogs. Some people have met their best friends by chatting online and some people have even got married after meeting in online chat rooms! But there are also some nasty people who use the internet to meet people, so you need to make sure that you keep yourself safe while still having fun.
Instant messaging apps.
Instant messaging apps (such as iMessage (on iPhones), Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger) are a great way of chatting with friends and family, and it’s private so only the people involved can see what’s being said. When a message is sent, it appears on the screen almost immediately, so it’s like having a real conversation! In these apps, you can keep track of your friends using a contact list. This list shows when they are online the same time as you, so you can see who you can talk to. You can even talk to lots of friends at the same time! You can use webcams or your phone camera with many of these apps, and this can be great fun as it means you can wave at your friends while you are talking to them! Even if they are in another country!
Using email is a fun way of speaking to friends and family and it’s also used a lot by people at work. You can send emails to lots of people at the same time and you can also send an email to anyone in the world - as long as you know who they are! When you send emails, you can also send pictures and videos for your friends to see, and this can be a great way of sharing information.
Mobile Phones
Using your mobile phone is another really fun way of chatting with your friends and family. You can use it to talk to people, you can send text messages and you can also send picture and video messages. You can choose different ringing tones and message tones, so your phone can be personal to you. Most phones that people have now also have a camera built in, so you can take pictures anytime you like, and either store them on your phone, or send them to friends. Most modern phones are smart phones so it is just like having a computer in your pocket.
Chat Rooms / Online Forums
Chat rooms and online forums are a great place to meet other people, where you can talk about all the things you enjoy.
There are forums / chat rooms where you can talk about music, sport, and films - anything that you find interesting. There are loads of these forums, so you will be able to find one and talk about all the things you like, and even meet people who like the same things as you. You can read messages that have been put up by other people, you can reply to messages by adding your own answers or ideas and you can also put up a new message or question of your own.
Social Networking
Social networking sites are another great way to communicate with your friends. Some of the most popular ones are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. Many of these websites and apps can be used for instant messaging too. You can create your own online profile, and you can include lots of information about yourself, like what school you go to, what music you like and your favourite sport. You can also have a blog (an online diary) where you can write your daily thoughts and invite people to add their comments. You can add pictures of yourself and your friends, but you should ask them first in case they don’t want their picture online. Don't post pictures that you wouldn't want others to see. You can also add music and videos to your page to make it just how you want. You can invite your friends to have access to your site and you can have access to their sites too.
File Sharing
File sharing sites are not a great way of downloading music or films, since the files could contain viruses or nasty images, also if the files are copyrighted you could find yourself in trouble with the law. If you want new music or videos it's better to go to a reputable site where you can pay for content. Sites like YouTube where you can watch and upload films can be fun - but remember anyone can post on them - so you might end up watching something horrible. Always ask a trusted adult before you visit these sites.
Visit the link below to find a wealth of games, advice and information about how to keep safe when online.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/
For older pupils:
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/
For Parents: