Screentime has lots of great things about it. You can connect with your friends. Play games. Use it for learning. 

But how clued up do you think you are when it comes to staying safe online? 

It’s easy to think we’re doing all the right things, but how you look after yourself online can be something that changes regularly, due to changes in technology and the way people use it. 

It can be hard to know what is real and what isn’t, so to give you a helping hand, our Screensavers have gathered some online safety tips which may not be quite as truthful as they seem. 

Parental Controls Keep Me Safe 

If your parents or carers have put controls on your screen use, that is a great start, even if it can sometimes be frustrating for you. They might have restrictions on what you can see through your home wi-fi or have your gaming profiles on Xbox or PlayStation set to keep you safe when you are gaming with others.

However, those controls will only protect you so far. They’ll block lots of the problems you might experience. But they can’t think for themselves to decide what the best thing to do is. Only you and your parents/carers can stop and look at something to choose what to do next.  

Top Tip – Stay alert. Don’t rely on the parental controls. And if you see something you don’t like or aren’t sure of, check in with a trusted adult.  

Young People Don’t Get Scammed, Just Adults 

Sure, adults have a more ways they can be scammed, given they’ve got bank accounts, credit cards etc. But that doesn’t mean young people don’t get targeted. 

Everyone has data, even if it just your email address and password for the sites you use. And that data is valuable to someone. Everyone is a potential target for scammers. 
 

Top Tip – Keep your data as safe as possible. If you’re not sure about a message or email, show it to someone else to see if they can identify whether it might be dodgy or not.  

If I Don’t Want People To See, I Just Delete The Post 

The little symbol of the bin you see on your screen might feel like the way out. It can wipe away what you’ve just posted online, right? 

It can, but that is no guarantee that it’s gone forever. Someone might have taken a screenshot of it already, and the longer something is online, the more chance they have to do it.  

Top Tip – Instead of relying on the delete button, stop and really think about whether you want to post something first. It could save you a lot of heartache.  

Everyone I Meet Is Who They Say They Are 

When we meet someone in person, we can see what they look like, how they act, sound and more. It doesn’t mean they are fully telling the truth, but at least we can see more for ourselves. 

Online, those rules don’t apply at all. It’s very easy for someone to make up a fake profile on a social media platform or tell you something that might not be true when you are gaming with them. They likelihood is that you are never going to meet in person (and if someone suggests you do, tell a trusted adult), so they can hide the real them from you. 

Top Tip – Unless it’s someone you know, be wary when chatting to strangers online.  

I’ve Got My Privacy Settings On 

First thing – well done for knowing how to use your privacy settings. A lot of people don’t even know where they are on platforms, never mind how to use them. It’s always better to have you profiles set to private to protect you. 

Just like parental controls though, they aren’t going to stop everything. Privacy settings on some platforms are better than others, and if someone tries to steal your data or content, there are still ways for them get through. It also doesn’t stop someone you know from being mean to you, cyberbullying or even sharing something of yours that you didn’t want made public. 

Top Tip – Make sure your profiles are private, but also think about what you want to share. If you wouldn’t share it in public, why are you doing so online? 

I only ever speak or play with my friends 

This is a good rule to have, but it doesn’t keep you completely safe. If you fall out with someone or they decide they don’t want to be your friend for whatever reason, they may decide to take it out on you. 

This could include bullying you online, sharing false stories, sharing things you sent to them in private and more.  

Top Tip – Use online to organise to meet your friends, but keep anything you want private to show them in person.  

Staying Safe

When it comes to staying safe online, being alert to what you are looking at is crucial. Remember:

• Let your privacy controls protect you, but still be wary
• Don’t share anything you don’t want others to know or see
• Be wary – is what you see or who you speak to, definitely what or who you think?
• Speak to a trusted adult if you are unsure of anything

We’ve got more on Gaming Safely on Mind Yer Time, and you can take our Quiz to see how clued up you are in staying safe online. For more about staying safe online, visit the respectme website.