Internet safety is an important topic for everyone. It doesn’t matter what age you are! It is essential to know how to protect yourself from potential dangers. Here are the top 10 facts about internet safety that every user should be aware of. From understanding the need for strong passwords to recognising the risks of clicking unknown links, these 10 facts will help you stay safe online.

1. Don’t talk to strangers.

It’s important not to talk to strangers on the internet.

People can say they are someone who they are not!

So make sure you stick to your friends only and stay safe.

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2. Keep your passwords private.

Passwords are your secret words. You need them for your different accounts.

Make sure they are hard to guess and include lots of different characters like ! or maybe *.

Don’t forget to add in some capital letters and numbers too.

Never send your password to anyone online – but do share it with your parents or guardians so they can keep you safe!

Read more about internet security here!

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3. Follow your family rules.

Family rules are there for a reason and are there to keep you safe.

Make sure to follow them whether it’s how long you’re allowed online, staying off social media until you are a certain age or even sticking to the apps that you are allowed.

There is plenty of time for that!

4. Inform your family or a guardian if anyone bullies you online.

Some people hide behind a screen and can sometimes bully you.

It might be someone you know, or maybe someone you have never met.

If you are being bullied then it isn’t acceptable. You should have no contact with the bully again and make sure to block them.

Always tell a responsible adult (like your parents or a teacher) to ensure it doesn’t happen in the future.

Find out more about cyber bullying with Nancy and The Meerkats here.

5. Ask your parent or guardian before filling in online forms.

We need to keep our personal information private and be careful who we are sharing it with.

This is why before you fill in an online form, you should ask a parent or guardian to help you.

You don’t want your information in the wrong hands!

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6. Only use websites that are made for your age!

Websites have different age ranges that they are suitable for.

Make sure you are only browsing on pages suitable to your age.

For example, some social media sites are for ages 13+.

7. Don’t stay online for too long!

The internet is an amazing place with lots of different things to do.

From learning to chatting, music to videos and gaming to reading…

It can also become addictive and we need to make sure that we make time for other things too!

… Like going on walks, hanging out with friends and spending time with family.

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8. Don’t click a link if you think it might not be safe.

Some links aren’t safe – so make sure you know what you are clicking!

They could link to a virus or a website that you don’t want to go on.

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9. Some online games cost real money, so be careful!

It’s really fun playing online games but we do need to be careful.

They might be on your computer or on a tablet or phone.

Sometimes during the game, they will ask you to spend money for different reasons like getting an extra life or more points.

This can be dangerous because you can end up spending lots of money when you shouldn’t be.

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10. Safer Internet Day is on 8th February every year.

That’s right! Every year on 8th February it is Safer Internet Day .

This is a day where tips and tricks will be shared to keep you safe.

Make sure you brush up on your knowledge and stay safe on the internet.

Watch the video below to see why you shouldn’t illegally download music:

Send us your favourite facts!

Is there something we've missed? Got a fact you're dying to tell us? Submit it below and we could use it on a future Top 10 Facts page! 

Remember to always ask an adult before filling out forms online.

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