MySpace and Seventeen Magazine recently partnered up to teach parents and teens how to stay safe online. We think that with a few helpful hints on safe Web practices, using the Internet can be a fun and meaningful experience.
Here are a few of our suggestions to teens:
1. Be Careful
You should never post personal information like your phone number, address, school, or where you regularly hang out. If you wouldn't share it with a creepy stranger on the street, don't post it on MySpace. Remember that the Internet is a public place and you should think about what you share.
2. Be Skeptical
We may have an idea of who someone is or why they're messaging us, but the truth is, when we're online we should be a little more skeptical. As you're connecting with people, get to know them first before adding them to your friends list. Only add people that as a friend if you are comfortable with them seeing your profile, checking out your friends and viewing your photos.
3. Be Picky
We all want to share funny things we've done with friends, but once you post something online it can live in cyberspace forever. Before you post an image or comment, take a minute to consider if it's something that might haunt you in a few years—imagine a potential boss or college recruiter is doing a search on you. Don't blow your opportunities for tomorrow just to be cute or outrageous today.
4. Be a Good Online Citizen
MySpace is a place where everyone should feel welcome. If you see hate speech or inappropriate content, or if you're being harassed by another user, talk to your parents and report it to MySpace immediately. Think of this as great, new neighborhood we ALL want to keep safe.
5. Be Real
MySpace is a community and you get out of it what you put in. Use common sense and think about what behavior is acceptable and what's not cool for the community. The more respectful you are to others, the better the site is for everyone. If you disrespect the community by posting fake profiles or lying about your age, you'll be removed—no exceptions.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment