Being online can be exciting and fun - but some things online can leave you feeling upset, worried or confused. If you feel any of these things, it's important to know what to do. Here are the steps you must take:

• Talk to someone!

  It's great to talk and it can really help you feel better about things. There are lots of people you can talk to, such as friends, family members and teachers.

• Make a report

  If something has happened on a service like a game or social media site, you might be able to make a report. You can often report other users if they've done something to upset or worry you. You can also report content - such as hurtful comments or upsetting photos that you don't want to see.

• SAFE

  Keep your personal information safe. When chatting or posting online don't give away things like your full name, password or home address. Remember personal information can be seen in images and videos you share too. Keep them safe to keep yourself safe.

• MEET

  Meeting up with someone you only know online, even a friend of a friend, can be dangerous as this person is still a stranger. If someone you only know online ever asks you to meet up, for personal information or for photos/videos of you then tell an adult straight away and report them together.

• ACCEPTING

  Think carefully before you click on or open something online (e.g. links, adverts, friend requests, photos) as you never know where they may lead to or they may contain viruses. Do not accept something if you are unsure of who the person is or what they've sent you.

• RELIABLE

  You cannot trust everything you see online as some things can be out of date, inaccurate or not entirely true. To find reliable information compare at least three different websites, check in books and talk to someone about what you have found.

• TELL

  Tell a trusted adult if something or someone ever makes you feel upset, worried or confused. This could be if you or someone you know is being bullied online. There are lots of people who will be able to help you like your teachers, parents, care takers.

• Be Smart with a Heart

  Remember to always be smart with a heart by being kind and respectful to others online. Make the internet a better place by helping your friends if they are worried or upset by anything that happens online.

• What should I do if someone online is mean to me?

  Not everyone online is always kind and friendly. People can say and do things which might upset or worry you - but you should never have to feel that way. It's important to know what to do if someone is being mean online.

• What should I do if an online friend wants to meet up?

  This is a good question with a really important answer! Having online friends can be lots of fun - it's always nice to have people to talk to or play games with but it's really important that these friendships are positive and safe too.
  Sometimes people make friends online who they've never met before in person. For some people these can feel like really close friendships - they may spend lots of time chatting together or playing games, they may talk about things that are important to them, and they may feel like they really trust their online friend.
  Unfortunately not everyone online is who they say they are and an online friend who you've never met before is still a stranger, even if you have been chatting to them for a long time.
  This doesn't mean you have to stop talking to them or that you can't have fun online with them, it just means you have to be careful to always keep yourself safe. For example, you shouldn't share any personal information with them.
  If an online friend who you don't know in person asks to meet up with you, it can be tricky to know what to say. However there are two simple things to remember

• • Say no - you can be polite about this, but make sure it's clear. “I'm sorry, I can't” is a really simple response to give.
  • Tell someone about the conversation. There's lots of people you could tell. Look at the word cloud below.

• Who can I tell?

  Parents, Club leaders, teachers, grandparents, other school staff, aunts and uncles.

• What if they keep asking?

  If an online friend …

• • keeps asking to meet up
  • wants you to share photos and videos of yourself
  • isn't taking no for an answer

• Then you need to think:

  Is this person being a good friend?
  The answer is: no! They're not listening to you and they're not showing you the respect that friends should do.

• There are a few things you should do in this situation:

• • Tell an adult

    It's really important you speak to an adult about what's going on straight away. Whether it's a parent or other adult at home, a teacher in school or a club leader, they can offer you help and support.

• • Block and report them

    If you're on a game or Social Media, you can try blocking the person so they can't contact you anymore or reporting them, so the site's safety team can investigate their behavior.

• Do any of these experiences sound familiar to you?

• • I kept getting messages which looked like a scam.

  • I saw a mean comment that really upset me.

  • One player kept trying to ruin the game for everyone else.

  • There was a horrible picture that I didn't like.

  • Other people kept swearing in the chat.

• Luckily, if something goes wrong online there is always something you can do about it.
  The report button is a really useful tool, which you can find on lots of different games and apps. It is a way of telling someone that you've seen or heard something upsetting.
  
  Look out for these symbols:

• You can report different things and for different reasons. For example:

• • Report a player or user who has done something wrong.

  • Report a post which doesn't follow the site rules or is upsetting.

  • Report a comment on a post - for example, if someone is being unkind or cyberbullying.

• When you click on the report button it will normally give you a chance to fill out more information about what's wrong.
  
  Our top tips for filling out a report are:

• • Make sure you report the right thing - user, game, post or comment

  • Be specific - explain what happened and when

  • Provide evidence - attach or send screenshots if you can

  • Always tell someone as well.

• Reporting is a fantastic positive step to take and it keeps everyone safe.
  
  Remember:

• • Reporting is anonymous.The person who has been reported will never be told who reported them.

  • Actions taken because of a report aren't always obvious but this doesn't mean that nothing has happened.

  • It's really important to talk to an adult you trust when you make a report, so that they can support you too!

• What do I need to know about sharing things online?

  Lots of people enjoy sharing things online. What are your favorite things to share?
  Jokes, memes, favorite songs, selfies, funny videos, news stories, photos of family and friends
  Whatever you're choosing to share, and whoever you're sharing it with, it's important you do so safely and positively.

• What is personal information?

  Personal information is all of those details about your life which should be kept private. They are details which could give away information about who you are or which could put you at risk if shared with a stranger.
  Here are some examples: full name, address, telephone number, birthday, school, passwords
  Look at the examples below - can you work out what personal information might be shared? Click in each box to see the answer.

• • A selfie of you and your friends taken after school

    What you look like is part of your personal information, but also think about what you're wearing! A school uniform could give away what school you go to.

  • A photo of your pet dog

    Check what's in the background and if there are any hidden details. For example, if your dog wears a collar is there a mobile number or address visible on the tag?

  • A photo at your birthday party

    Got any balloons? Or candles on a cake? These could give away how old you are - and the date they were shared may give away your birthday.

  • A vlog of a day out

    Do you show your local area? Especially the road you live on or the front of your house - these could give away your address to viewers. If you watch well known vloggers on sites like YouTube you'll see they're normally very careful about what details they share with their audience. They don't want to risk their safety by showing their house on a video, and neither should you!

• How long do the things I've shared stay online?

  One of the best things about sharing online is that jokes and stories can be seen by lots and lots of people very quickly… but this can be a risky thing too.
  Once you've shared something online, it can be difficult to take it back. You may be able to remove the post you shared, but you can't stop other people from copying or screenshotting it and sending it on to more people.
  This means a joke you might have made in private could end up being seen by lots of people all around the world.
  Remember - the things you share online could be out there forever, so think carefully before you hit the 'post' or 'share' buttons.

• What should I think about before I share?

  Before you post anything online, ask yourself these questions:

• • Are you sharing anything that could allow someone you don't know to identify you?

  • Are the things you're sharing online going to give people a good impression of you?

  • Have you thought about how your post is going to make other online users feel?

  • Would you be happy for your parents, teachers, grandparents, or even everyone in the world to see what you have shared?

  • Have you got privacy settings in place to protect the things you share? Is your account set to private?

• If your answer to any of these questions is 'No' or 'I'm not sure' then think again about what you are sharing and why you are sharing it. Is it something that shouldn't be shared online at all?
  Remember - the things you share online could be out there forever, so think carefully before you hit the 'post' or 'share' buttons.

• What makes a good online friend?

  The same things that make a good friend offline…
  Respectful, good listener, caring, trustworthy, reliable, thoughtful, fun, honest
  Which of these qualities do you think you have?
  Which might you need to work on?
  But nobody can be all of those things, all the time!

• What if things go wrong?

  Wouldn't it be great if nobody ever disagreed and everyone always got along online? Unfortunately, I'm sure we all know that this just isn't possible!
  Nobody is perfect and it's completely natural to make mistakes or have disagreements. The trouble with the internet is that sometimes those small mistakes can get you into quite a lot of trouble.
  Mistakes don't have to be the end of a friendship though. There's a really simple thing which you can do to help make the situation right...
  Say sorry.

• How can I say sorry?

  Saying sorry is a great place to start when trying to fix a friendship. It helps your friend to understand that you didn't mean to upset them and it's a way of letting them know that you want to make things right.
  Remember that actions can speak louder than words so as well as saying sorry think about what you can do to make things better.
  Check out our top tips:

• • Shared something you shouldn't have?

    Take it down as quickly as possible. If you're not sure how to, then speak to an adult for help and advice.

  • Left someone out online?

    Find a way to include them - add them to the game or group if you can, and start a new one if you need to.

  • Said something mean?

    Show that you value your friendship by saying or doing something kind instead.

  • Not sure what's wrong?

    Talk to your friend in person to show them you care and want to fix the problem. Only know your friend online? Speak to an adult you trust.

• How old do I need to be to use Social Media?

  Great question! But before we look at the answer, let's just be clear on what we mean by Social Media…
  Social Media or social networking services are apps and sites that are used mainly for talking with your friends or other people online.
  You can normally share things like photos, videos or written posts, message people and interact with what they've posted - maybe by liking it or writing a comment.
  Like lots of things online, there are special rules for using most Social Media services, which you agree to when you sign up. Often these rules are included as part of the 'Terms and Conditions'.
  Nearly all Social Media services have a rule about how old you have to be to use them. For lots of them you have to be at least 13 years old, although some services say older.
  Have a look below to see the age restrictions for some of the most popular Social Media services.

• Why do Social Media services have age restrictions?

  A big part of the reason Social Media services have age restrictions is actually because it's the law! Don't panic though - they're not laws for you, they're laws for the companies who run apps and websites.
  When you create a Social Media account you share some of your personal information with the company who owns that service…but the law says those companies are not allowed to have your personal information without your parent or carer's permission.
  This is where it might be a bit confusing! Different countries have different laws for companies about how old their customers need to be before they stop needing permission from their parent or carers.
  In the USA this age is always 13. Lots of Social Media companies are based in the USA so they need to follow USA laws, which is why they use 13 for their age limit. In other countries this age can be higher, which is why other services, like WhatsApp, have chosen an age limit of 16.
  Most Social Media services don't want to have to get permission from your parents and carers because it would be a lot of extra work - think how you would feel about extra homework? This is why they use an age restriction instead.

• Talk to an adult you can trust.

  A parent or carer can help you decide whether you're really ready to be using Social Media. If you make that decision as a family, they can also help you to stay safe by using things like privacy settings.