eSmart

Friendships and relationships

Making new friends online is fun - but it can turn nasty if you're not careful.

More friends online mean more people can see everything you put on your profile. 

Never forget the person you're talking to is a real person with real feelings: if you wouldn't say it face to face, don't say it online.

Sending or forwarding mean or humiliating things about other people can cause real hurt - and in some parts of Australia, it's against the law.

Making other people's private information public (like posting a phone number or address online) can put them in danger.

If you know someone else is being bullied, tell someone. The person being bullied might not have the courage to find help for themselves. 

If someone is giving you a hard time, don't respond or reply. Lots of people will give up if they don't get a response. But don't ignore it either - tell a trusted adult and ask them to help you. 

Save the nasty messages, texts or emails) or copy and paste Instant Messaging chats to Notepad) so you can show an adult if you need to. 

Most chat sites, Instant Messaging software and phones will let you block communication from people you don't want to hear from.