Chapter 5: Staying Safe and Smart Online

Staying Safe and Smart Online 🛡️

Being Safe and Being Kind

The most important thing about technology is staying safe and being kind. You already know how to be safe crossing the street: stop, look, and hold a grown-up’s hand. Screens have safety rules too. Let’s learn the rules that every smart tech friend knows!

Secret Passwords 🔐

A password is a secret word that keeps your things safe. It is like a key to your treasure box. Only someone with the key can open it.

Why do we need one? Because a device holds our things: our drawings, our photos, our games. A password makes sure only we can get in.

The rules for passwords are easy:

Keep it a secret.
Only share it with a trusted grown-up.
Never tell it to a friend or a stranger, even if they ask nicely.
Never type it into a screen that pops up and asks for it. Show a grown-up first.

Some devices use a PIN instead. That is a short number code. Some devices look at your face or your fingerprint. Those are all keys, too. A grown-up helps you set them up and remembers them for you.

Private Information 🤫

Some things about you are private. That means they are only for you, your family, and trusted grown-ups. Private information is things like:

Your full name and your birthday
Where you live (your address)
The name of your school
Your family’s phone number
Photos of you and your family

A game or a screen might ask you to type these things. Don’t. Stop and ask a grown-up. If a game needs a name, a grown-up can help you pick a nickname that isn’t your real name, like “BlueDino.”

Strangers on a Screen 👤

You know not to go with a stranger in the real world. Screens have strangers, too.

In some games and apps, other people can send you messages. They might seem friendly. They might say they are a kid like you. But if you have never met them in real life, they are a stranger, even if they seem nice.

Here is what to do:

Don’t answer. You don’t have to be rude, and you don’t have to reply.
Never tell them private information.
Show a grown-up the message.

A real friend is someone you know in real life. Online, that’s still true.

Tricks on Screens 🎣

Some pop-ups and messages are tricks. They try to make you tap something you shouldn’t. Here are some tricks to watch for:

“You won a prize! Tap here!”
“Hurry! Tap now or you will lose your game!”
“Free coins! Just type your password.”
A button that says Buy or Get that could spend real money.

Here is the secret about tricks: they try to make you hurry. Real, safe things don’t rush you. So when a screen says “Hurry!” that is your clue to slow down.

Keeping You Safe 🚦

Some things online are not safe. If a message or a screen ever asks for your secret information, or feels scary, follow the number one rule:

Stop, and tell a trusted grown-up!

Don’t tap anything. Turn the screen away. Then go find your grown-up. You will never be in trouble for telling a grown-up. That’s the smart and brave thing to do.

Being Kind Online 💛

There is a real person on the other side of the screen. They have feelings, just like you. So online, we do the same thing we do at school: be kind.

We use nice words.
We take turns.
We never say mean things, even as a joke.
We ask before sharing a picture of someone else.

If someone is unkind to you, you don’t have to be unkind back. Just stop, and tell a grown-up.

Being Smart with Screen Time ⏰

Screens are fun! But our bodies need other things too: running, playing, sleeping, and being with people. That’s why grown-ups set screen time rules.

When a grown-up says “time’s up,” stopping is being smart. It’s okay to feel a little sad when a fun game ends. Take a breath, save your work, and hand the device over gently. The game will still be there next time!

Chapter 5 Activity: Safety Star 🔍

With a grown-up:

Practice saying: “My password is a secret!”
Name three things that are private. (Your address is one!)
Pick a fun nickname you could use in a game.
Talk about what to do if a stranger sends you a message. (Don’t answer, show a grown-up!)
Talk about what to do if something online feels scary. (Stop, and tell a grown-up!)
Draw a picture of you being kind to a friend.

Key Concepts Checklist

I know a password is a secret I keep safe
I only share my password with a trusted grown-up
I know what private information is, and I don’t type it into a screen
I know someone I haven’t met in real life is a stranger, even on a screen
I know tricks try to make me hurry, and I slow down instead
I know to stop and tell a grown-up if something feels scary
I know there is a real person on the other side of the screen
I am kind when I use technology
I stop when a grown-up says screen time is over