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HEADS up

stop

think

connect

FTC.gov/

OnGuardOnline
connecting with 

friends and family 

online

sharing photos and 

videos on-the-go

building your 

online profiles 

and reputation

sharing what you’re 

doing — and where 

you are 

downloading apps 

You probably 

spend time: 
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The truth is there are some risks involved in posting, playing, 

and talking to people online. It can be easy to over-share, 

embarrass yourself, mess up your computer, and possibly get 

messages from creepy people. 

Asking a few key questions first can help you protect yourself, 

your friends, your accounts, and your devices.

Before you post a message or a 

photo, download a game, or buy 

something online...

ask yourself:

Why should 

I read this? 

How 

will I feel if 

my photos or 

comments end 

up somewhere I 

didn’t mean for 

them to be?

Do I know and trust 

who I’m dealing with?
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Your online actions can have real-world 

consequences. The photos, videos, and messages you 

share can affect the people in your life. Think before you post.

What you post could have a bigger 

“audience” than you think. Even if you use privacy 

settings, it’s impossible to completely control who sees your 

profile, pictures, videos, or texts. Think about how you will feel 

if your family, teachers, coaches, or neighbors find it. 

Get someone’s OK before you share photos 

or videos they’re in. It can be embarrassing, unfair, and 

even unsafe to send or post photos and videos without getting 

permission from the people in them. 

SHARE WITH CA

Sexting: Don’t do it. 

You may have heard stories at school or in the news 

about people “sexting” — sending nude photos 

from their phones. Don’t do it. Period. People 

who create, forward or even save sexually explicit 

photos, videos or messages put their friendships 

and reputations at risk. Worse yet, they could be 

breaking the law.
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Once you post 

something online,

 you can’t take it back.

Even if you delete it, that photo 

or comment you don’t want 

people to see anymore could 

be living somewhere — 

permanently. 

ARE

Were you ever 

sorry you shared 

something online?
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Politeness counts. Quick texts can lead to 

misunderstandings — so think about how your message 

might be read and understood before you send. 

Take it easy. Using all CAPS, long rows of exclamation 

points, or large bolded fonts is the same as shouting. AND 

NO ONE LIKES TO BE YELLED AT!!!!

Send group messages with care. Think about who 

needs to see your message before sending to multiple people.

INTERACT WITH 
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 TACT

Remember what’s real. When you’re playing a multiplayer game, keep in mind that real people are behind those 

characters on the screen. Respect their feelings just like you 

would in person. 

Don’t impersonate. It’s wrong and can be hurtful to 

create profiles, comments, or posts that seem to come from 

someone else, like someone in your class or a teacher. 

Speak up. If you see a friend post something thoughtless, 

tell them. You may help your friend keep out of trouble and 

avoid looking foolish. If you see something inappropriate on 

social media or in a game, let the website know and tell an 

adult you trust. Using Report Abuse links can help keep sites 

fun for everyone. 
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Cyberbullying is bullying that happens online. It can happen in a 

text message, an online game, or on social media. It might involve 

trolling, rumors, or images posted on social media or passed 

around for other people to see. 

Bullying often makes the person being harassed feel bad — and it 

makes the bully look bad. It also might get you in trouble with your 

school or the police.

STAND UP TO CY

Treat others the 

way you want to be 

treated — whether you’re 

online or in person.
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What if someone harasses you online? • Keep a cool head, and don’t be mean back. Most 

people realize that bullying is wrong. 

• Ignore or block the person. 

• Report abuse to the website where it’s taking place. 

• Save the evidence and ask for help from an adult you 

trust. 

What if you witness cyberbullying? 

Tell the bully to stop. Most kids don’t bully, and there’s no 

reason for anyone to put up with it. This mean behavior usually 

stops pretty quickly when somebody stands up for the person 

being bullied. 

YBERBULLYING 

If something 

online bothers you, 

who do you tell?
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Use privacy settings. Find out how to turn on privacy 

settings on your apps and social media — then do it.

Think about when it makes sense to turn off 

your location. There are apps that let you find out where 

your friends are — and let them find you. Use location features 

only with people you know personally. And for other apps, ask 

yourself, “Does this app need to know where I am?” 

PROTECT YOURSELF

THE PROTECTION 

Did you know? When you post a photo 

you took on your phone, it could also have 

information about where you were when you 

took it. If you don’t want to broadcast where 

you were for every selfie, think about turning off 

your location on your smartphone’s camera. 

Limit your

online friends

 to people you

 actually know.
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 CONNECTION 

PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

Some information should stay private. Your 

Social Security number and family financial information — like 

your parents’ bank account or credit card numbers — should 

stay in the family.

Don’t reply to messages that ask for your 

personal information — like passwords. 

That’s true even if the message looks like it’s from a friend, 

family member, or company you know — or says something bad 

will happen if you don’t reply. Chances are it’s a fake, sent to 

steal your information. Just delete it. 

Don’t stay permanently signed in to accounts. 

Log out when you’re done using them. 

Got apps? Try to check what information the app 

collects — before downloading. And check out your own 

privacy settings. Also think about whether getting that app 

is really worth sharing the details of your life. You might be 

giving the app’s developers access to your personal information.

Check with your parents to make sure they’re ok with you 

making in-app purchases, especially if they’re paying for it.
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Passwords are one way to keep other people out of your 

accounts. Here’s how to create good ones: 

Be unique. Come up with different passwords for your 

different accounts. If you reuse the same password and it’s 

stolen, someone could use it to hack into your other accounts. 

Be strong. The longer your password, the harder it is to crack. 

Create a password with at least 12 characters. Use a mix of 

uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Avoid the obvious. When creating passwords and 

security questions, don’t use names, dates, phone numbers, 

where you go to school, or anything someone could learn about 

you from social media. That’s too easy to guess. Get creative! 

And definitely don’t use “password123.” 

Keep it private. Don’t share your passwords with anybody, 

including your best friends, or your boyfriend or girlfriend.

Password Tips 
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Guess what? Many public Wi-Fi hotspots — like at libraries, 

coffee shops, and airports — aren’t secure. And they may not 

protect your passwords, messages, photos, and account info 

that you send and receive. 

Here’s how to protect your information when using public Wi-Fi:

Turn off the Wi-Fi auto-connect feature. 

That way you can choose which networks to use and when.

Look for a pop-up window asking for a WPA 

or WPA2 password. If you’re not asked for a password 

to join a Wi-Fi hotpot, other people might be able to see what 

you’re sending. 

Use secure websites. Look for sites with a padlock 

symbol or https in the address. The “s” stands for secure. 

Don’t use apps that ask for personal information. 

If your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network, your apps that use 

the internet will connect to that network, too. 

Wi-Fi Hotspots 
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Be cautious about opening attachments or 

clicking on links. They may hide viruses or spyware that 

could mess up your device. 

Password-protect your devices. It’ll help prevent 

annoying “pocket-dials” and help keep your photos, messages, 

and accounts from falling into the wrong hands. 

Whether it’s your phone, laptop, or tablet, don’t 

leave it in public — even for a minute. 

PROTECT YOUR DEVICES

It’s FREE!

Is it really free? 

What’s the catch? 

Sometimes “free” stuff — like 

videos, apps, games, or music — 

can hide viruses or malware. 

Don’t download unless you 

trust the source. Have you 

ever downloaded 

something that turned out 

to be different than you 

expected?
WORD SEARCH

APPS 

PRIVACY

RESPECT

DOWNLOAD 

TEXTING 

POLITENESS

PROFILE

VIRTUAL

SECURITY

SPYWARE
To get free copies of this brochure,

visit FTC.gov/bulkorder.

FTC.gov/OnGuardOnline

September 2016