Using the Internet Safely
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In this day and age using the internet has become as common as brushing your teeth. It’s just another thing we do on a daily basis. Because of that many times we don’t see the importance of making sure to use the internet safely. Although the internet can open an amazing world of history, adventure, and communication, if not used wisely it can become a part of our worst nightmare. It is extremely important to navigate the internet safely.
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One very important rule of thumb is to never share your passwords with anyone…this includes your BFF! The only person that needs to know your password(s) is YOU. Don’t worry if you think you will not be able to remember your password, because most sites that require a password have security questions they can ask you in case you can’t remember your password. Many times these sites will deliver your password to an email address you provided them, or send you an email with a link to reset your password.
Another important rule of thumb is to keep in mind that you are not always going to be a teenager, and everything that happens in high school will not stay in high school. If you post, comment, create, or send inappropriate messages or pictures to anyone, that content may haunt you for the rest of your life. The chances of taking something off of the internet once it is uploaded, is slim to none. With that in mind, think about everything you upload, post, or send via any electronic device before it’s too late. Ask yourself the following questions: “Is there a chance this will come back to bite me in the rear in the future?” “Will I regret this years from now?” “Could this hurt my chances of getting into the college of my dreams, or getting the job I’ve always wanted?”
In addition, it is extremely important to only communicate with people online that you know and trust in real life. If you do happen to communicate with strangers, and they start to ask you about your personal life, ask you to send them pictures of yourself, or get upset with you when you don’t respond right away, take that as a gigantic red flag being waved in front of you! These strangers are not looking out for your best interest. They are predators and can do major damage to your well being.
Now that I have scared the daylight out of you, remember that it is very possible to enjoy the many pros to internet usage as long as you use it safely and wisely! Below is a list of resources that will guide you on how to use the internet safely. Enjoy, and if you have any questions be sure to send me an email.
Another important rule of thumb is to keep in mind that you are not always going to be a teenager, and everything that happens in high school will not stay in high school. If you post, comment, create, or send inappropriate messages or pictures to anyone, that content may haunt you for the rest of your life. The chances of taking something off of the internet once it is uploaded, is slim to none. With that in mind, think about everything you upload, post, or send via any electronic device before it’s too late. Ask yourself the following questions: “Is there a chance this will come back to bite me in the rear in the future?” “Will I regret this years from now?” “Could this hurt my chances of getting into the college of my dreams, or getting the job I’ve always wanted?”
In addition, it is extremely important to only communicate with people online that you know and trust in real life. If you do happen to communicate with strangers, and they start to ask you about your personal life, ask you to send them pictures of yourself, or get upset with you when you don’t respond right away, take that as a gigantic red flag being waved in front of you! These strangers are not looking out for your best interest. They are predators and can do major damage to your well being.
Now that I have scared the daylight out of you, remember that it is very possible to enjoy the many pros to internet usage as long as you use it safely and wisely! Below is a list of resources that will guide you on how to use the internet safely. Enjoy, and if you have any questions be sure to send me an email.
Watch this short video to learn a little more about internet safety.
The following is a list of resources intended to help you navigate and use the internet safely.
- A Thin Line is a website that educates teenagers about the possible consequences of not being mindful with digital activities.
- Reglas Gramaticales is a website that lists the grammatical rules for the Spanish language.
- Broken Friendships is a short but powerful video that stresses the importance of never sharing your password with anyone!
- Trusted Adults Can Help You! Click here to view a video displaying the importance of reaching out to adults you trust if you ever experience anything that makes you feel weird or uncomfortable.
- Are you smart and safe online? Click here to take the NS Teens challenge and find out. At the end of the challenge enter my email address as proof that you took the challenge and I will reward you with bonus points. I took the challenge myself!
- Good Copy Bad Copy, is a documentary about copyright and culture in the context of Internet, peer-to-peer file sharing and other technological advances, directed by Andreas Johnsen, Ralf Christensen, and Henrik Moltke.
- Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites is a brief table of tips and questions to ask from the Cornell University Library.
- Evaluating Internet Resources is a site that displays a series of techniques that will help you quickly find what you need to know about web pages.
- Wicked or Wonderful? Click here to explore the many sides of Wikipedia. This site explains what one should know about Wikipedia, and when it is appropriate to use Wikipedia.