Tips for Teens
- Never give out personal information (such as name, age, address, phone number, school, town, password, schedule, your picture) online without your parent’s permission.
- Don’t give out your password to anyone except your parents—not even to your friends.
- Tell an adult if you see anything unusual, or anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Never respond to rude or insulting comments.
- Never agree to meet a person you have met over the internet unless accompanied by a parent or a group of friends. If you must, meet in a public place during the day such as the local fast food restaurant.
- Be careful who you trust online and remember that online friends are really strangers.
- People online, no matter how long you have been talking to them or how friendly they are, may not be who they say they are.
- Never order products off the internet—or give a credit card number—without a parent’s permission.
- Follow your family’s rules for online safety at home, at school, at the library or at a friend or relative’s house.
Social Media Safety
- Personalize your privacy account settings. These specific links below direct you to online help for your privacy settings. Notice what is shared publicly and privatly.
- Think before you post. Ask yourself if you would be comfortable sharing the status post or picture with your grandparents or parents. If not, you might want to re-think posting. Once you share something online, it doesn't come down, even after it is deleted.
- Turn off location services. When location is on and you post a status, anyone can see where you're located. Burglers know you aren't home, potential preditors know where you are and that you may be alone. Click these links to help you get started...
- DO NOT post revealing pictures online or on snapchat. Even if you trust the person you are sending it to, they can potentially show someone else. Plus, if you are under the age of 18, you are distributing child pornography and could be subject to charges. For more information on this law, visit The Department of Justice website to learn more.
