Social Networking: Post to be private

Setting your page to private is smart, and a step in the right direction -- but who's on your friends list? Don't give just anyone access to your world. Watch this video about social networking. Use these activity cards to follow up the video.

Stuff to Know

• Keep your personal information private
• Only add friends you know in real life
• Set your page and blog to private
• Use a nickname that doesn't identify your location, gender, or age
• Never meet in person with anyone you have first met online
• Alter your pictures before you post them to remove identifying information
• Profile and photo share only with people on your friends list
• Don't post your plans or whereabouts on your site
• Ignore harassing or rude comments posted on your profile
• Think about the possible consequences of the information and photos you post
• Never post sexually provocative photos

Social Networking Sites

Social Networks

Quick tips for keeping yourself safe on social networks

• Put everything behind password protected walls, where only friends can see
• Protect your password and make sure you really know who someone is before you allow them onto your friends list
• Blur or morph your photos a bit so they won't be abused by cyberbullies or predators
• Don't post anything your parents, principal or a predator couldn't see
• What you post online stays online - forever - so, ThinkB4uClick!
• Don't so or say anything online you wouldn't say offline
• Protect your privacy and your friends' privacy too...get their okay before posting something about them or their pic online
• Check what your friends are posting/saying about you. Even if you are careful, they may not be and may be putting you at risk.
• That cute fourteen year old boy may not be cute, may not be fourteen and may not be a boy! You never know!
• And, unless you’re prepared to attach your MySpace or Facebook to your college, job, internship, scholarship or sports team application, don’t post it publicly!