Social networking and online friends
When you share online you may be sharing with people you do not know
Chatting to friends using IM, chat or social networking is a great way to stay in touch and make new friends. However, you should always keep in mind that there are some risks meeting people online—especially if you don’t know them in real life.
Know the basics of safe social networking
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Limit your friend list - don’t friend randoms.
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Protect your privacy - don’t share your password and set your profile to private.
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Your personal details are valuable - don’t share them without a good reason.
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Protect your reputation - remove flirty photos and nicknames.
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Be careful who you trust - a person can pretend to be someone they are not.
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Think before you post.
Meeting online friends in the real world
If you want to arrange to meet an online friend, ask an adult to go with you.
Always meet in a public place, preferably during the day.
If you want to talk about a problem, you can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, visit Kids Helpline or contact the Cybersmart Online Helpline service.
The Australian Government's
Easy Guide to Socialising Online provides information on how internet users can protect themselves and their information when using social networking sites, search engines and online games.