EDUCATION
Little Miss Squid talks about the dangers of being online! Hi Everyo ne I am so excited that this is now my second article, I have so much to say. I wanted to write something that I feel is important. The internet, social media and mobile phones. The internet is a great place to go - it's exciting and fun, with so much to offer. Whether it's learning something new or chatting with friends. I have learnt a lot from the net and also watched a lot of funny things on YouTube. However, like Star Wars, there is a dark side, (my daddy told me to add that in, he loves Star Wars). There are some bad people that love to scare us kids and put in things like MoMo and other scary things. My advice is to sit near an adult to watch things so they can see what is happening. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat allow you to be creative online, keep in touch with your friends, share photos and videos, as well as follow your favourite celebrities. Remember though, you have to be at least 13 years old to use most of these sites, so adults please make sure you follow the rules and guidelines to keep your children safe. Some things online can leave you upset or confused and if you ever feel this way when you're online, it's important to speak up and get support, find someone to talk to about what you have seen or what someone has shared with you that has left you feeling worried or unsure. There are lots of people you can talk to _ your parents, legal guardian, carer, other family members or your favourite teacher. Some social media sites even allow you to report anything bad; whether it is something hurtful, someone has said something to you or about you or if you have seen upsetting photos that you don't want to see. Sometimes curiosity gets the better of you and it's embarrassing to ask, but be careful when you do search because you can end up searching unwanted things, make sure your parent has turned on the safe search on your computer. My parents do, they also block some of the game sites like RoBlox. Games that allow you to be friends and talk to others online are dangerous. You don't know if the person you are talking to is who they say they are, which can lead you to a lot of trouble.
Never be 'friends' online with someone you don't know in the real world. My friends play Roblox, so if you do play these games and someone upset you or leaves you feeling confused to speak to an adult you can trust. If someone you have met online asks to meet up with you, send photos of yourself or asks you for personal information let a trusted adult know. I hear a lot of parents saying that their kids don't talk to them and kids just go to their rooms. Trust me kids love to talk but parents and guardians need to ask the right questions otherwise their kids will be talking to someone else, a stranger, without telling the adults who look after them. They have opened up their bedroom to hundreds of strangers and not monitoring what they are doing is like allowing strangers into a child's bedroom. (I heard my parents talking about this). I know you love your phone and your games but remember you control your phone, your phone shouldn't control you. My parents say it's good to sit down as family and have a free hour where all phones are put away and you all play a game, talk, eat together and spend time as a family. This is also for the adults - even you are not allowed to be on the phone for an hour. Now a message for parents and carers; if your child comes to you with something like this you can report it to the police using the ThinkUKnow website. It is run by CEOP, which is part of the police and whose job it is to stop strangers online trying to meet up with young people. (Mummy helped me with this section). Be kind to yourselves and others Love
CHILD AMBASSADOR FOR FBS
40 | Cherubs Magazine
