Digital Presence: Freshmen Advisory
Living Online
- In a very short period of time, the Internet has revolutionized our lives. It has changed the way we buy things, receive our news, listen to music, watch videos and movies, do homework, and socialize.
- The Internet offers an endless number of resources and information, as well as an essential means of communication that places the entire world at your fingertips. Yet, along with its many advantages, the online world comes with its share of problems and dangers.
- There is a big difference between being online and IRL (in real life). With how connected people are through their mobile devices and the Internet, it’s sometimes easy to forget where the boundaries begin and end. Often what happens online spills over into real life.
- At home and school, you learn about how to act, treat others, and protect yourself in the real world. You may be less aware of them, but similar rules apply online. Your parents and teachers might not spend as much time talking about these guidelines (they might not know as much as you do about the Internet), but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t correct and incorrect, safe and dangerous ways of behaving on the Internet.
"Online Predators." Teen Health and Wellness. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2015
- Would you say it in real life? If not, don't post it!
- Keep your relationship details to yourself
- Don't post every detail of your life. Consider your audience. They don't need, or want, to know what you ate for breakfast, what toothpaste you use, how your commute into work/school was...
- Don't complain in every post!
- Any image that you share online can be copied and re-posted by anyone. Think about the pictures you post before you share them.
- Update your privacy settings. Anyone can see what you share when you have a public account, and private accounts are easy to navigate around. Don't share something that you wouldn't want a future employer or a creepy stranger to know.