Category: communicate teacher toolkit

Communicate – Email

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.

This page looks at email, which is typically the information required to create other accounts or activate devices, is still the most common form of communication in the workplace and is targeted relentlessly by criminals for financial gain.

The risks:

  • phishing emails
  • sharing private information (social engineering)
  • sharing or receiving content that is inappropriate, offensive or harmful
  • reading unreliable, or false, information
  • being groomed or exploited
  • being bullied

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:

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 direct messaging (DMs) – could they be offensive, harmful or bullying to someone else?
  • Even though it may created and shared privately, it probably won’t stay private after you share it so, what does your content say about you?

Communicate – Direct Messaging (DM) Apps

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.

This page looks exclusively at direct messaging (DM) apps, such as Snapchat and Whatsapp, not social media or gaming which also have messaging features. Dating apps, such as Grindr and Tinder may also be considered as Messaging apps but we do not currently have age appropriate content on those platforms.

The risks:

  • sharing private information
  • sharing or receiving content that is inappropriate, offensive or harmful
  • reading unreliable, or false, information
  • being groomed or exploited
  • being bullied
  • receiving inappropriate images or messages 
  • phishing scams

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 that platforms are protected by stronger passwords and 2FA is enabled to stop others from accessing the account without permission
  • Ensure they are aware of privacy settings, such as who can see or share your messages, media or location (Snapchat Snapmaps are enabled by default and allow other users to see your exact location)
  • Check that they are aware of the risks of grooming, cyberbullying and scams
  • Show them how to report concerns on the platform
  • Forward phishing messages to NCSC on 7726

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 direct messaging (DMs) – could they be offensive, harmful or bullying to someone else?
  • Even though it may created and shared privately, it probably won’t stay private after you share it so, what does your content say about you?

Communicate – Livestreams

Livestreaming is an increasingly popular method of communicating with people across the world. They can be based on any sort of content but often centre around sports and gaming.
Learners should be aware of the risks of inappropriate content in livestreams, the pressure to provide tips, subscriptions or sponsorship, and the risks associated with talking to others on streams, whether friends or strangers.

The risks:

  • pressurised into purchases, tips, sponsorships or subscriptions
  • inappropriate content
 

 

 

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 them aware of any potential risks, such as inappropriate content and costs
  • Ensure they have privacy and security settings enabled on their streaming platforms and consider where and what they film
  • If content is harmful – do they know how to report it?

 

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:

  • Discuss the risk of watching inappropriate streams
  • Ask them to explore and recommend smarter choices for more appropriate streams – this could be class stream reviews alongside book reviews
  • Look at how they can be kinder when streaming or commenting on others’ streams

 

Communicate – Gaming

Gaming is one of the most popular past times in the world. The amount of money spent playing games is more than that spent on video-on-demand (VOD), such as Netflix, or music streaming like Spotify combined. There are many aspects to gaming beyond playing the games, including livestreaming, esports or gambling.

Learners should be aware of the risks of inappropriate content in games, the pressure to make purchases (lootboxes, FUT, skins), and the risks associated with playing multiplayer online games whether friends or strangers.

 

The risks:

  • sharing or receiving content that is inappropriate, offensive or harmful
  • being groomed or exploited
  • being bullied
  • sharing private information

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 them aware of any potential risks, such as grooming or cyberbullying and greifing
  • Ensure they have privacy and security settings enabled on their games consoles and apps when playing online
  • If content is harmful – do they know how to report it?

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:

  • Discuss the risk of playing inappropriate games, or with inappropriate players, such as randomly matched adults
  • What is the difference between trolling, griefing and bullying?
  • Look at how they can be kinder when playing cooperatively

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?