Keeping Safe While Using the Internet

We live in a community. What are some safety rules we have in our community? Cyberspace is also a community. What are some safety rules we could use in Cyberspace? We are going to talk about computer safety, personal safety and responsible use of the Internet.

How do you get a virus? What is a computer virus? How does a computer get a virus? – attachments/web pages How can you keep your computer healthy? –Anti-virus protection/don’t open attachments from someone you don’t know. Computer Safety: Learning About Computer Viruses

How do you use the Internet? Chat Rooms Personal Safety

SPAM: advertisements, etc. Flaming: intended to insult or provoke someone Personal Safety

Online ID names/screen names Password protection Chatrooms: how to use them safely. Personal Safety

Online ID names/screen names –What does your screen name tell someone about you? –Why should you have no personal information in your screen name? Personal Safety

Never give out personal information on the Internet. –Name –Address –School –Phone Number –Social Security Number –Family and friend’s names –Age or birthday Personal Safety

Password protection Think about your password. Is it something someone could guess? Does anyone else know your password? If someone knows your password, they can pretend to be you. Personal Safety

Chatrooms What is a chatroom? Some people lie in chatrooms. They are not who they say they are. These bad people are predators. Almost one in eight youth ages 8-18 discovered that someone they were communicating with online was an adult pretending to be much younger (Polly Klaas Foundation, December 21, 2005). Personal Safety

What is a predator? Someone who stalks or uses lies, secrecy or stealth to get close enough to another person to hurt them. Personal Safety

How does a predator gain your trust? They “groom” you. They tell you they like the same things you do. They make you think you can tell them anything. They may tell you to keep your friendship secret because nobody else will understand. Personal Safety

They will lie to you. They may tell you they love you. They may tell you they will treat you better than your family. They may tell you they will buy you presents. Personal Safety

What will they do next? They might send you pictures that make you feel uncomfortable. They might threaten you or tell you they will hurt your family. THEY ALWAYS WANT TO MEET YOU IN PERSON. Personal Safety

What can you do? The FBI has a special task force to find Internet predators. Tell an adult what is happening. Someone will help you. Personal Safety

Never give out personal information on the Internet, without your parent’s permission. Learning about Personal Safety

Never write to someone on the Internet who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared.

Do not meet someone or have them visit you without the permission of your parents.

Tell your parents right away if you see or read anything on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Remember that people online may not be who they say they are.

Intellectual Property: a name used for copyrighted materials like ideas, music, movies and pictures. It is wrong to copy or download pictures, movies, music, etc. from the Internet that is copyrighted. When you do this, you are stealing from the person who created the item because they don’t get paid. If you worked hard on something and people stole it, how would that make you feel? Learning about Responsible Use of the Internet

When you purchase music, movies or software you have purchased the right to use it or listen to it – not to make copies for your friends. Learning about Responsible Use of the Internet

Your best friend just bought a cool game. You want it too but it costs $50. What should you do? A. Have him make a copy for you. B. Download the game from an online site. C. Save up your money or ask for it for a gift. What would you do?

You just heard one song from a group you really like on the radio. You want that song. What should you do? A. Download the song from an online site. B. Pay to download the song from an online site. C. Buy the CD. What would you do?

You have a report due at school. You find a great picture on a website. What should you do? A. Print it out and put it in your report. B. Use it in your report but make sure you give credit to the author. C. Find a site with free pictures. What would you do?

You need information for your report. You find several good Internet sites. What should you do? A. Copy it word for word – your teacher won’t know. B. Print it out and hand it in. C. Put the information in your own words and give credit to the author. What would you do?

Your best friend tells you about a cool site where you can download movies and watch them. What do you do? A. Check out the site and watch a movie. B. Tell your friend that is illegal and the owner of the movies is not getting paid. C. Do nothing. What would you do?

Questions or comments about anything we have talked about? What would you do?

Some information in this presentation came from the i-SAFE America, Inc. corporation.