Welcome back :)

First of all, a belated Happy New Year to all of you- I hope that all of  your 2021 is full of health, happiness and success.

During this time, a lot of you, like me, may be extremely busy with work or school, and may also be spending a lot of time online due to the pandemic getting in the way of outings and excursions. The internet can be an amazing place- it helps you acquire new skills, relax, and also, meet new people. Even though having fun is always a bonus, safety is always the most important thing. Without any further ado, here are some internet safety tips for you all!

1. Never do anything that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

No matter how much someone persuades you or convinces you to do something, it is always within your right to refuse. This doesn’t just apply to extremely invasive requests, you can refuse to do something as simple as clicking on a link or sending a photograph of your face if it doesn’t feel right to you

2. If someone tells you to keep your contact with them a secret, it’s usually an extremely bad sign.

If someone isn’t doing anything wrong, they should see no problem with you discussing your friendship or relationship with them with a friend or a family member. If someone wants to be a ‘secret’ part of your life, then they could potentially be planning to harm you.

With media being at our fingertips thanks to technology, it takes under 10 minutes to check the news for new scams online. Just as we, ‘ordinary people’ are getting smarter in knowing how to keep ourselves safe, hackers and online predators are getting smarter in how to harm us too. If you don’t stay up to date with the news, you may be finding danger online where you least expect it.

4. Use the ‘block’ feature.

This feature exists for a reason, and you are never obliged to provide a reason for blocking someone-- whether they’ve insulted you or put pressure on you to do something you don’t want to, you can cut off contact with those who you are not comfortable communicating with online.

5. Ask a friend or family member if you’re ever unsure.

No matter how much we do our research of the downsides of the internet, almost all of us feel unsure at times on whether we’re in a dangerous situation or not. Explaining the problem to someone you trust will never do any harm, as they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.

What are some tricks you know to make the internet a safer place to use?

Take care,

~Jaya x