Chapter 2: Staying Safe Online

Staying Safe Online 🛡️

Stop, Think, and Tell!

You wear a helmet when you ride a bike. You look both ways before you cross the street. Those are safety rules. They help you have fun and stay safe.

The internet has safety rules too. In this chapter, we will learn what to keep private, how to spot a trick, and who to tell when something feels wrong.

Private or Public? 🔒

Some things about you are fine to share. Some things are just for you and your family.

public information is okay to share. It does not tell a stranger who you are or where to find you.

Your first name
Your favorite color
Your favorite animal
A game you like to play

private information stays with you and your family. It could help a stranger find you or pretend to be you.

Your full name (first and last)
Your home address
Your phone number
The name of your school
Your password
A photo of you or your house

Who Should Know?

Your grown-ups at home can know your private information. Your teacher and your school nurse can know some of it too. They take care of you.

A person you only know online should not know your private information. A game should not need it. A pop-up should not need it. If anyone online asks for private things, stop and tell a grown-up.

Passwords Are Secret 🔑

A password is a secret word or code. It works like a key. It proves it is really you when you open a game, an app, or a school tablet.

Some devices check who you are in other ways too:

A picture code, where you tap your secret pictures
Your fingerprint on a button
Your face, when a grown-up has set it up

Here are the password rules:

Keep it secret. Do not tell your friends, even your best friend.
Grown-ups can know. Your parents and your teacher can help you keep it safe.
Never type it into a pop-up, a chat, or a message.
Log out when you are done on a shared device.

Why not share with a best friend? Because then someone else could open your account and pretend to be you. Even good friends can make mistakes.

Tricky Messages and Pop-Ups 🎣

Sometimes a message or a box pops up on the screen when we did not expect it. A box like that is called a pop-up. Some pop-ups are fine. Some are tricks.

Some tricky messages are sent by computer programs. A program can send the same trick to lots and lots of people, very fast. It might even pretend to be a friend or a game helper.

Look for these warning signs:

“You won!” You did not enter a contest.
“Hurry! Click now!” It wants you to rush.
“Tell me your address” or “Type your password.” It asks for private things.
A stranger says, “Let’s be friends! Don’t tell your parents.”
Big flashing buttons or lots of spelling mistakes.

What to Do

If you see a warning sign:

Stop. Do not click. Do not type anything.
Hands off. Put the tablet face down or step back from the computer.
Tell a grown-up. A grown-up can check it and close it safely.

You are never in trouble for asking. Grown-ups would much rather check a message than have you click a trick.

Real or Made Up? 🤖

Some computer tools use AI. AI-made means a computer tool made it. AI tools can make pictures, voices, and videos. They can look and sound very real. But they are not real.

An AI tool can make a picture of a dog flying over the moon. It can make a voice that sounds like a famous singer. It can make a video of a cartoon that looks like a real animal talking.

Some made-up things are fun and silly. But some made-up things are used to trick people.

So when you see something surprising online, ask:

Could this really happen? Can dogs fly? Can a cat drive a car?
Who made this? Do I know where it came from?
What does my grown-up think?

Always check with a trusted grown-up before you believe something surprising, and before you share it. If you share a fake thing, other people might believe it too.

When Something Feels Wrong 🧑‍🏫

Even careful kids can see something online that is not okay. It might be:

A scary or mean picture or video
Words that make you feel bad or confused
Someone asking you to keep a secret from your grown-ups
Something that is just for grown-ups

That kind of thing is unsafe content. If you see it, you did not do anything wrong. Here is what you do:

Close it or turn the screen over.
Tell a trusted grown-up, like a parent, a teacher, or a family member who takes care of you.
Talk about how you feel. It is okay to feel scared or upset.

Secrets that make you feel funny are never okay to keep. Surprises are fine, like a birthday gift. But a secret about something online should always be told to a grown-up.

Remember: private stays private, and when something feels wrong, stop, think, and tell.

Chapter 2 Activity: Safety Sort 🗂️

With a grown-up:

Sort these into private and public: your first name, your address, your favorite color, your password, your school, your favorite animal.
Point to the place on your home tablet or computer where you would type a password. Who knows your password?
Find the warning signs. Your grown-up reads a pretend message: “You won a prize! Hurry! Type your address!” How many warning signs can you find?
Real or made up? Look at a cartoon and a photo with your grown-up. Which one is real? How can you tell?
Draw your trusted grown-ups. Write their names under the picture.

Key Concepts Checklist

I know the difference between private and public information
I can name who should know my private information
I keep my password secret from friends
I know a pop-up can be a trick
I can find warning signs like “You won!” and “Hurry!”
I stop, put my hands off, and tell a grown-up
I know AI tools can make pictures and voices that look real but are not
I check with a trusted grown-up before I believe or share something surprising