Friends 

A long list of online friends or followers is not necessarily “cool”. Don't provide too much personal information. What can and should your followers really see of you online?  

Familiarity

The question "who is a stranger and who is a friend online?" is difficult for children and teenagers online to answer. They can quickly feel that an online contact is an acquaintance. Therefore, teach children the 10-minute rule: only add someone online with whom you have already spoken offline for at least 10 minutes. 

IN the game and ABOUT the game 

Teach young people to speak only in a game and about the game. So do not talk to a friend over WhatsApp about the game and do not talk about other things in the game dialogue box. 

Incognito navigation

This makes it possible to surf through the internet without leaving traces in your history. In this way, young people can enjoy the internet anonymously. Note that this navigation stops hackers and cookies, too. 

Privacy 

It is essential that young people secure all their profiles on social media. They can make their accounts on TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat private through their settings. The profiles should not become public places accessible to everyone. 

A strong password 

Explain that a strong password is like a toothbrush: you don't give it to anyone, not even your best friend. Young people change their passwords as a sign of trust, but in doing so make cyberbullying possible. Think with them about other ways to show trust. 

Last but not least, teach them some healthy and useful habits to pick up, such as: 

• Taking screenshots in case of a problem. They are always useful when things go wrong. 
• Blocking malicious profiles on social media. 
• Reporting inappropriate content to website providers and/or administrators. 

Explain to teenagers that they should never be left alone with a problem. They should always feel like they can have access to someone they can trust and feel comfortable speaking to. 

Find out more about the work and initiatives of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.