Social Media

Look at the settings that controls who sees your content and make sure you are happy with them. It is better to have your accounts private so you can control who sees your posts. If your account is public remember anyone can see what you post, so think before you post!
Remember you can also control what your followers can see, you can block people or restrict their access if you are not comfortable with them seeing your content.

It is very easy to post online without thinking about the consequences...

Before you post think:

Am I in a good mindset to be posting?

Sometimes if we feeling annoyed or upset it can be too easy to post something in the heat of the moment that we regret later. Try not post things unless you are thinking clearly.

Would I say this in person?

No? Then don't say it online. Social accounts are managed by real people with real feelings. If you talk about someone online, think about whether you would feel embarrassed or ashamed if you saw them in person. If so, you may want to ask again, why am I posting?

Can this be interpreted differently?

Sarcasm and irony do not often transfer well into writing, especially in a short social media post. Could it be read a different way than you intend?

Am I being kind?

Treat others with the respect that you would like to receive yourself. If you read it about yourself, would it make you feel good?

Is it really private?

People often excuse inappropriate posts based on the idea that the conversation is private, as it is on a private account. Consider how many connections you have, are all these people very close friends? Can you trust that each one of them won't share or talk about your post with others?

Do I have permission?

You might find that badly angled photograph of your friend amusing, but the likelihood is that they will not. Be respectful of other people's privacy; don't share photos or information that will embarrass or humiliate someone.

Is it legal?

In the eyes of the law, posting online is not the same as having an informal chat with your friends. Posting is publishing, just the same as if it was written in the newspaper. Even if your profile is private, you do not own what you publish - meaning anyone can use it as evidence.

Make sure you do not post anything that might get you into trouble with the law. Harassment, hate speech, threats of violence, ruining someone's reputation and pictures or comments suggesting illegal activity can all be used against you.

This is not a myth or a rumour, once you post something then you can never really delete it. Even if you delete it off your profile it is still stored somewhere on the internet. Remember others can screenshot what you post without you knowing as well so before you post think about if it something you are happy with everyone seeing.

It might sound really simple but in general if you don't know them or haven't met them in person should you be accepting them as a friend/follower? Remember there are lots of fake accounts out there and if you aren't 100% sure who they are do you want them to be able to see your content. If you’re trying to create a public persona as a blogger or expert, create an open profile or a “fan” page that encourages broad participation and limits personal information. Use your personal profile to keep your real friends (the ones you know and trust) up to date with your daily life.

If you are trying to get a job, employers will often look at your social media profile before hiring you. If they see inappropriate posts or pictures it may make them think differently about you, is your profile reflecting your real personality?

Also consider how you are coming across online. If you were a stranger looking in at your profile, what would you think? If most of your posts are in some way critical, unkind, offensive or negative, how do you think you are being perceived?

If someone is harassing or threatening you, remove them from your friends list, block them and report them to the site administrator.

As well as blocking them make sure you let someone you trust know. This could be a friend, teacher, parent as this could be a case of cyber bullying.

If someone is harassing you or making you feel uncomfortable online this is not okay. This might be someone sending you hurtful messages, posting things about you that you don't like or haven't given permission to do or posting comments about you. Make sure you tell someone. It can be very overwhelming if someone online is making you feel like this and telling someone can help you get help and support to deal with it.