There are lots of great things about social media, apps and games, life wouldn't be the same without them for most of us. But sometimes things can go wrong and you might feel like you are in an unsafe or upsetting situation.
We all want to keep our online experience positive so this area has been created to help you make sense of some of the issues that you might have to deal with. The information pages also include advice on what to do and where to turn for help if you are worried about something online.
Always keep in mind that you have rights and these rights also apply in the digital world!
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Catfishing and impersonationCatfishing, or impersonation, is when someone creates an online profile pretending to be someone else. They might be pretending to be someone who actually exists, or they might have made up a false identity.
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Digital well-being and mental healthOur digital well-being is how going online makes us feel. It is important that we notice how we feel when we are online because these emotions can impact on other areas of our lives.
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Fake news and misinformationThe internet can be a great tool for learning new things or sharing information, however not everything you see online can be trusted or is reliable.
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Generative AIInformation for young people to understand what AI is and some risks to be aware of.
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Group chatsGroup chats provide a quick and easy way for you to message lots of people at once, as well as to share content like photos, videos and links.
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Illegal and offensive contentThere are lots of great things on the internet, but there are also risks associated with being online.
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LivestreamingLivestreaming is video content that is posted on the internet as it is happening.
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Online advertisingAdverts can be found in lots of places, both online and offline.
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Online body image and self esteemYour ‘body image’ is how you think and feel about yourself physically, and the way in which you think that other people see you.
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Online bullyingOnline bullying (sometimes called cyberbullying), is any behaviour that uses technology and devices to deliberately target or upset someone.
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Online gamingThere are lots of ways that you can game online. Popular methods include using a console, mobile device or PC.
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Online groomingGrooming is when someone becomes friends with a child or young person, and builds a relationship with them, because they want to trick or pressure them into doing something sexual, or something that may hurt or harm them.
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Online hateOnline hate is posting and sharing hateful content that targets a particular individual, group or community.
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Online influencersOnline celebrities or people with large followings on social media are often known as ‘influencers’.
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Online radicalisation and extremismExtremism is someone having strong beliefs (usually about politics, religion or social issues) that most people don’t find acceptable or reasonable.
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Online reputationYour online reputation is formed by the content you share, and your behaviour online.
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Online sexual harassmentOnline sexual harassment is any kind of unwanted sexual behaviour aimed at you that happens online.
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Screen time and healthy balanceScreen time is the amount of time spent using any device with a screen such as smartphones, tablets, computers or games consoles.
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Sharing nudesNudes are naked, semi-naked (in underwear), or sexual images or videos shared privately or posted online.
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Social mediaYou can use social media to keep in touch with friends and family, meet new people, watch videos and play games.
Thursday, 31 March 2022
Friday, 10 January 2025