Take this moment to consider the five laws of your life online. Like laws of the state, whether or not you choose to learn these laws is irrelevant, as you will be tried by them regardless.

1.
Assume everything you do and say will be made public.

2.
Do not be seduced by privacy settings and passwords, which are temporary illusions that distract from the reality of the previous point.

3.
Understand that context and data are often one and the same. When you enter information on the internet, assume that you include the who (you), the what (the data), the when (the time of data input), the where (the site on which the data is being placed), the how (the device on which you input the data), and the why (the purpose of the site).

4.
Believe that all of your credit card transactions are being kept in a colossal, searchable ledger that one day will be made available for all to study.

5.
Believe that data does not disappear when you delete it.

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Being able to maintain your privacy on the Internet is becoming harder, but it’s never been more important.

Here are seven ways you can protect your personal information and privacy online

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'Self-harm is highly prevalent amongst teenagers – but that doesn’t make it any less shocking for a parent when they find out that their child is hurting themselves. Worried parents often ask me what they should and shouldn’t say – worried that the wrong approach may make things worse, so in this blog post I’m sharing a few pointers on what not to say as well as some advice about how to have a more positive conversation. This advice is all based on suggestions from young people and provides helpful pointers for friends, teachers or other staff too.' Dr Pooky Knightsmith

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The revenge porn hotline is a free confidential service run by South West Grid for Learning. ''Don't suffer in silence. Call us for free, confidential advice and support. Whilst we cannot guarantee removal of all images online, our exceptional partnerships with internet industry partners allows us to minimise the reach, and some of the harm caused by revenge porn.'

More information here.

Watch these four short and powerful videos by Internet Matters to help parents address esafety issues and their children's safety. 

Some parents turn to socialmedia to punish and discipline their children by publicly shaming them.

The implications and consequences of this public shaming and humilation are serious and at times fatal.

Public humiliation videos will cause problems for young people when they apply for college and employment. It seems that parents do not realise the message; 'Post once and it's there forever' applies to their social media activity too.

It should also be noted that there have been tragic incidents where young people have taken their own lives following public shaming by their parents.

In the US there is a proposal to make parental public shaming of their children a state offence.