Safety Tips: Oversharing Online

Sharing things is a key part of life online. There are plenty of things that are great for your child to share online with their friends. Many young people use social media to express who they are, update what they are doing or post things they feel particularly proud of.

But some things are not appropriate to share online, and could even be dangerous. Examples of this are passwords, personal information like your location or home address, or content that could be hurtful to others.

What your child shares also depends on who they’re planning to share it with. Something suitable to share with a friend may not be appropriate to share publicly.

What are the risks?

Your child might not be aware that something they have put online could harm themselves or others. It isn’t always obvious, so it’s important to discuss what is and isn’t appropriate.

For example, if your child posts a picture of themselves in their school uniform, this could tell anyone who sees the picture where your child goes to school. Your child should also be mindful not to post pictures of their friends or others without their permission, as doing so could reveal personal information they haven’t agreed to share – or simply embarrass them.

It’s also important that your child understands that once something has been posted online – even if among friends – that image, post or message is no longer in their control. Even if they delete it in the future, others could have already shared it or taken a screenshot.

Encourage your child to think carefully about whether they will feel comfortable in the future about something they are planning to share.

Posted by Mrs Jackson

Pastoral Deputy Head