Communicate – Social Media

Communicating online carries greater risk than just consuming or creating content because it involves other people and their ability to influence or affect our behaviour.
Platforms such as social media are designed for communicating with others, inviting them to comment on your posts, pictures and videos.

The risks:

  • sharing content publicly with no restriction on who can see, share or comment on it
  • sharing or receiving content that is inappropriate, offensive or harmful
  • being groomed or exploited
  • being bullied
  • receiving inappropriate images or messages 

Becoming cyber resilient is the first step to being safer online. Talk to your learners about the devices and accounts that they use to access online information:

  • Make sure they are aware of how to create a stronger password and enable 2FA
  • Ensure they are aware of privacy settings, such as who can see and comment on posts, or how many notifications they receive
  • Ensure that only people they follow/friend are able to direct message (DM) them
  • Check that they are aware of the risks of grooming, cyberbullying and scams
  • Show them how to report concerns on the platform

Being more cyber resilient reduces the risk of internet safety issues arising. We all want the internet to be a more welcoming space for children and young people and that is why we promote this positive message of safe, smart and kind.

With your learners:

  • Are they aware of the risk of grooming – what it looks like, how it happens and how to report it?
  • Ensure that learners are aware of the risks of social media comments and posts – could they be offensive, harmful or bullying to someone else?
  • What does your content say about you – are you creating a smart and kind public presence?

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