Safer Internet Day 2018

Safer Internet Day was on Tuesday 6 February 2018. For the past 5 years, Reigate St Mary’s pupils have taken part in lessons and activities to encourage them to always take online safety very seriously and to be aware. This year the IT Leaders helped their peers to consider how important it is to ‘treat other people as you would like to be treated’ regardless of whether they are in the same room or behind a screen. The IT Leaders shared their knowledge and enjoyed asking the Upper School pupils their thoughts about a variety of hypothetical scenarios.
The children gave super answers whilst demonstrating empathy for other users. They mirrored research that suggested young people feel passionately about their online community with almost four in five of those surveyed claiming to believe that every person on the internet has a responsibility to be respectful to others.
School believes that everyone has their part to play in making the internet a better place. Here are some online tips below to help the children make a positive change, stay safe and help your friends.
A better internet starts with you…
It starts with staying safe online – Keep your personal information safe and check with an adult before you share anything online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and passwords.Never agree to meet up with someone you only know online. No matter how friendly they might seem or how well you think you know them, they are still a stranger. Always tell a trusted adult if someone online asks to meet up.
It starts with being a good friend– Remember that behind every screen is a real person. Being kind and positive online is just as important as being kind and positive face-to-face.
It starts with saying sorry – Even when we’re trying really hard to be a good friend online, things can still go wrong. If you ever upset someone online, even if it wasn’t on purpose, then saying sorry is a really powerful and positive action to take.
It starts with taking a step back – Being online is great – there are so many fun and exciting things to do! But being connected all the time can get a little stressful. If being online is making you feel worried, upset or confused, it’s always worth taking a step back and having a break from your online activities.
Check out Red and Murphy talking about this in this special SID TV video.
It starts with asking for help– It’s okay to feel worried or upset by something you see online – just make sure you speak to someone about it! Always tell an adult you trust if you see anything that worries you online.
For tips, advice, guides and resources go to the Parents and Carers area of the Safer Internet website