In a recent forum with high school students, I shared my tips on responsible online behaviour.
BE SMART.
With online predators on the prowl for vulnerable prey, keep your personal information secure.
- There is no real need to share your real full name on social media profiles.
- Be creative with passwords. Never share passwords with strangers and be wary of phishing sites.
- If you must share your birthday on social media profiles, leave out the year of birth.
- Withhold sharing your exact location on social media in real time.
- Use email addresses and credit card information only in secure and known sites.
- Parents should hold back from publicly sharing the personal details of their children, such as full name, date and place of birth, etc. Avoid sharing photos which show full details on birth certificates, passports, airline tickets, among others.
- Not everything you see and read online is good. Learn to filter information and discern good from bad, right from wrong.
BE KIND.
The world could use more positive messages and comments on social media.
- Be careful with what you say and do on social media. Nothing gets erased from the Internet archives.
- Your social media profiles may be set to private, but your contacts and friends have their own networks. They can share the contents of your account without your knowledge and consent.
- If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything. If you have nothing good to post on social media, don't post anything.
- Never take part in bashing activities online. Posts and comments should encourage constructive dialogue rather than negative attacks.
- It's easy to be an anonymous hater. It's better to be a mature and responsible user.
CREATE VALUE.
How can you take advantage of the power of social media and the Internet?
- Connect with family and friends. Bridge the distance through online conversations.
- Avoid over-sharing and humble-bragging. Think about how your audience will perceive you and the content you share.
- Use the Internet to learn about the world. Subscribe to news feeds, smart blogs and relevant online forums.
- Let your voice be heard. Use your profiles to talk about issues and causes you care about. Rally for awareness, support and action.
- Extend help to people, organisations and countries in need.
UNPLUG. LIVE YOUR LIFE.
Life is too short to be lived on the Internet alone.
- Take the time to disconnect from the online world and connect with the real world. Emails and notifications can wait.
- Be present. Be with the real people around you, not just with the people on your social media profiles. Every minute spent online is one less minute spent with the people who matter.
- The number of friends, followers, likes, shares and views is not a measure of how great your life is. If you need validation from your social media presence, then you probably need help.