How to Stay Safe While Exploring the Internet

A guide for kids on how to keep personal information private and stay safe while browsing, gaming, and chatting online.

1. Keep your identity a secret. Never share your full name, home address, phone number, school name, or passwords with anyone online, even if they seem friendly. These are your 'private keys' and should stay with you and your family.
2. Make your passwords strong. Create a password that is at least 10 characters long, using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using things people know about you like your pet's name or your birthday. Ask a grown-up to help you store it in a safe place.
3. Check your privacy settings. Ask a grown-up to sit with you and look at the privacy settings on the games or apps you use. Make sure your profile is set to 'private' so that only people you actually know in real life can see what you post or send you messages.
4. Listen to your gut. If you see something that makes you feel uncomfortable, sad, or confused, close the app or turn off the screen. You are never in trouble for telling a grown-up about something weird you saw online.