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Internet Safety

Here you'll find some handy info for using the Internet safely, plus some tips for how to deal with cyberbullies. All the information is courtesy of the Illinois Library Association. Printable bookmarks of the info can be found on their website: www.ila.org/netsafe/.

For more information, visit www.ConnectSafely.org or www.GetNetWise.org.

• Ignore the person. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to ignore the person and go on about your business. Log-off if the harassment is bothering you.
  
  
• Block or delete the person. If it is happening on Instant Messaging or some other place online that requires a "buddy list," you can block certain users based upon their username, or delete them if they are in your buddy list. You can also block e-mails that are being received from specific e-mail addresses.
  
  
• Change your information. If someone has hacked into your profile, change your password. If someone repeatedly sends you messages (like, "add me to your buddy list" over and over), consider changing your username or e-mail address.
  
  
• If there is a profile that was created about you without your knowledge, contact the company which runs the site to have the profile or language taken off.
  
  
• If you are upset about what is being said, talk to someone you trust. Don't feel like you're alone. Many times, you are able to take care of the cyberbullying on your own. Sometimes, it gets out of hand though, and it's helpful to talk to an adult about what is going on. If you feel scared or overwhelmed, maybe even trapped, it's definitely time to talk to an adult, inform your Internet Service Provider and possibly call the police if you are getting physical threats.
  
  
• Never arrange to meet with someone you met online unless your parents, friends, or a trusted adult go with you. If you are meeting them, make sure it is in a public place.

For more information visit www.cyberbully411.org.

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Many of you may be unaware that Facebook added a new privacy setting recently. It's called "Instant Personalization" and it shares data with non-facebook websites. It's automatically set to "Allow." THIS IS NOT GOOD. (Unless you don't mind having your personal info floating around the Interwebz without your knowledge or control.)

How do I fix this, you ask? Simple. Go to Account > Privacy Settings > Applications and Websites and uncheck "Allow."

And while you're there, change all your other Privacy Settings to Friends Only. (See, Facebook has this nasty habit of changing the way they share your info without telling you, so you definitely want to check back every now and again to make sure your settings are still set the way you want them to be set.) You really don't want your privacy settings set to EVERYONE. Your profile should display the minimum info about you possible. Like, just your name. Only friends - and these should only be people you know (and who you don't mind knowing more about you) - should be able to see your posts, pics, etc. Also, even though it's only your friends, there's no need to advertise your email address or IM screenname or anything like that. So set that information to be seen by just you. (To do this, choose "Customize" and then "Only you/Just me".) If they're really your friends, they should already have this info.

By setting your privacy settings to Friends Only, you keep control over who sees what about you. Only the people you want to see your info will be able to see your info. (Assuming of course that you don't mind the people you friended seeing said info. Which, you do, since you're "friends" with them. Right?)

Check out this New York Times article for more information on "How to Opt Out of Facebook's Instant Personalization.

Not sure if your privacy settings are keeping your info private? Go to ReclaimPrivacy.org. Follow the steps on their site to run a check on your Facebook privacy settings.

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• Be anonymous. Avoid postings that could help a stranger locate you. This includes your last name, address, phone numbers, sports teams, the town you live in, and where you hang out.
  
  
• Protect your info. Check to see if your service has a "friends" list that allows you to decide who can visit your profile or blog. If so, allow only people you know and trust.
  
  
• Avoid in-person meetings. Don't get together with someone you "meet" in a profile or blog unless you are certain of their actual identity. Talk it over with an adult first. Although it's still not risk-free, arrange any meetings in a public place and bring along some friends, your parents, or a trusted adult.
  
  
• Think before you post. What's uploaded to the Net can be downloaded by anyone and passed around or posted online pretty much forever. Avoid posting photos that allow people to identify you, especially sexually suggestive images.
  
  
• Check comments regularly. Don't respond to mean or embarrassing comments.
  
  
• Be honest about your age. Membership rules are there to protect people. If you are too young to sign up, don't lie about your age.

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• Use privacy settings. A no-brainer. Keep the weirdos out of your profiles and photos. Don't make yourself an easy target for bullying.
  
  
• Think before you post. Imagine a teacher, family member, employer, college admissions officer, or stranger seeing your profile, that message, that picture...
  
  
• Trust your gut. If someone is bothering you, block 'em. If you have suspicions, feel threatened, unsafe, or uncomfortable, notify the site owner, tell an adult you trust, and contact the Cyber Tipline at www.cybertipline.com immediately.
  
  
• Check it out. See what others are posting about you online. Even though you are careful, they may not be! Hurt can come from friends, as well as from strangers.
  
  
• Be savvy. People you meet online might not be whom they say. Meeting an online "friend" in person only makes sense if you've told a trusted adult, it's a public place, and you've got your posse with you.
  
  
• Don't get duped. Ads and messages making offers that are too good to be true? Spam. Requests for personal account information? Phishing scams. Mark bogus friend requests as spam. Don't get sucked it!
  
  
• Be part of the solution. Don't use your space to trash talk others. Close out any accounts and services you no longer use. Promote a culture of self-monitoring so others won't be so tempted to step in and restrict teen access. You have the power to improve your online community!

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• Be reasonable and try to set reasonable expectations. Pulling the plug on your child's Internet activities is rarely a good first response to a problem - it's too easy for them to "go underground" and establish accounts at a friend's house or many other places.
  
  
• Be open with your children. Encourage them to come to you if they encounter a problem online - cultivate trust and communication because no rules, laws or filtering software can replace you as their first line of defense.
  
  
• Talk with your children. Find out how they use the services. Make sure they understand basic Internet safety guidelines, including privacy protection and passwords, the risks involved in posting personal information, avoiding in-person meetings, and not posting inappropriate photos.
  
  
• Consider requiring that all online activity take place in a central area of the home, not in a child's bedroom. Be aware that there are also ways children can access the Internet away from home.
  
  
• Try to get your children to share their blogs or online profiles with you. Be aware that they can have multiple accounts on multiple services. Use search engines and the search tools on social-networking sites to search for your child's identifying information.

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