Some things online make me feel scared
Advice for young people
Learn about what you could do when you see scary or shocking things online.
We all love seeing pictures or videos that our friends post; they make us laugh, and it’s nice to see what our friends are up to. But some photos, videos, or comments can upset you or make you feel worried.
If this happens, there are things you can do to get them removed and make experiences online better for you and everyone else.
Whether it is something that you have seen by accident, or perhaps it was sent to you by someone else; the first thing you can do is close the window and the browser and tell a parent or trusted adult.
If you feel anxious, always remember that it is not your fault, and talking to someone will help.
On social media, every user is supposed to stick to the rules. These are called Community Standards, and when we sign up to a social media account we agree to follow them.
If the photo, video or comment breaks these Community Standards and needs to be reported, you can do this together with someone you trust by using the reporting tools on the app or website where you saw it.
This will make sure the content is checked and removed as soon as possible.
Most social platforms will have ways to do this, on Facebook you can use the ‘Report’ link near the content itself to report things that break community guidelines.
What to think about
Settings
Unwanted violence or sexual content
You might come across videos or photos online that you did not mean to search for. They could be scary or shocking.
This is because even careful searches can bring up unwanted content.
You might come to the end of a video you are watching on YouTube and it automatically starts the next one which is not a video you chose.
Or somebody sends you something that upsets you. If they do this more than once, you can ask yourself, are they bullying me?
What should I do?
- It is not your fault
- Close the window and the browser and move away to calm down
- Talk to a trusted adult
- If the content should be reported, you can do this together
- It can help to listen to your favourite music, look at a calming app or play a game to help you calm down
- If it worries you days afterwards please talk to your parent or carer
-
What is banter?What you will learnKnowing the difference between what banter is and is not.
5 minute read -
CyberbullyingWhat you will learnWhat cyberbullying is, how to recognise it and what to do about it if it happens to you or a friend. 5 minute read
-
Scary challengesWhat you will learnHow to notice when some challenges may be dangerous and not to repeat them. 5 minute read
-
Are they really 'strangers'?What you will learnTalking to new people on social media and some dangers of doing so. 5 minute read
-
What is peer pressure?What you will learnHow you can spot peer pressure and do something about it. 5 minute read
-
What is inappropriate content?What you will learnWhat inappropriate content is and recognising what a healthy relationship looks like. 7 minute read
-
I have seen porn, what do I do?What you will learnLearn about what to do if you come across porn online. 7 read
-
Balancing my screen timeWhat you will learn5 top tips to help balance your screen time. 7 minute read
-
How do I spot fake news?What you will learnLearn how to spot whether a news story you see is fake or true. 7 minute read