Following numerous people asking for advice for both themselves, and their children about how to stay safe online I thought I’d post some online safety tips.

1. Never give out personal details to online friends that you don’t know offline. Remember that small pieces of information can easily be pieced together to form a comprehensive insight into your life and daily activities. Examples of personal information:
   1. Email addresses
   2. Mobile numbers
   3. School name
   4. Sports club
   5. Arrangements for meeting up with friends
   6. Any photos or videos of themselves, their family or friends
2. Think carefully about the information and pictures you post on your profile
3. It can be easy to forget that the internet is not private. Don’t post any pictures, videos or information on your profile, in chat rooms, or anywhere on the internet, that you wouldn’t want a parent, friend or the whole world to see.
4. If you receive spam or junk email and texts, don’t believe their contents, reply to them or use them.
5. It isn’t a good idea to open files that are from people you don’t know. You never know what they are going to contain - it could be a virus, or worse - an inappropriate image or film.
6. People tell lies online and therefore it’s better to keep online friends online. You should never meet up with any strangers without an adult that you trust.
7. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable online, talk to a family member, or friend about it.