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The Prince George RCMP are sharing a message about social media and online safety.
“We spend a lot of time in schools speaking with children and youth about social media,” said Constable Mireille Haunts, Community Policing Officer.
“We start with the Grade 3 students, talking about general online safety and privacy. As the students get older, we start talking about topics like sexting and sextortion, cyberbullying, and even human trafficking. It’s important that students learn about the potential risks involved when they are using social media.”
Police officers also encourage parents to speak with their kids and teens about social media. Ask what social media platforms they are using and make sure you are comfortable with them sharing information that way. Talk with them about what to do if they see or have done something online that makes them uncomfortable.
Here are some safety tips to help you stay safe online:
-- Keep personal details shared online or in chats to a minimum.
-- Remember everything online is instant, public and permanent.
-- Use the Grandma rule: if you wouldn’t say it to grandma, don’t say it online.
-- Set the platform’s privacy settings to limit the information you broadcast on social media.
For more information about keeping kids and teens safe while online, you can visit the following websites:
For parents:
For kids:
For youth:
