They talked to the year about the importance of staying safe in an ever-expanding cyber world. Here are some of their answers to the following questions.

What did you find interesting about the cyber safety presentation?

• The statistics about cyber crime and social media bullying shocked me. 
• That some social media sites have an age restriction that were more extensive than I thought.
• Finding out how easy it is for people to find information about you because of your online profile. 
• Social media sites own what you put on their, including photos. 
• There are babies in Egypt being named Facebook and Twitter…how weird is that! 
• Even though it is easy to be protected online, it is very easy to have your privacy breached. 
• The risks of using social media and how to stay safe online. 
• How many people use social media sites. 

What did you learn about during the cyber safety presentation?

• How to deal with cyber bullying.
• Making sure I’m being safe online and set my security profiles up in a way that protects me.
• How big social media really is and how dangerous it can really be. 
• No social website is 100% safe!
• Make sure you protect your online reputation.
• Think before you do anything on the internet, especially social media sites.
• Don’t do sexting or make fake profiles of people because you could get jail time.
• Cyber bullying can hurt people a lot more than you think it does.

What are the biggest risks about social media?

• Cyber bullying. 
• Social media keeps your personal details and pictures. 
• Your privacy and reputation. 
• You don’t know for certain who you are talking to. You need to watch out for adults grooming kids. 
• Something going viral about you that can ruin your future job opportunities. 
• Strangers –people finding personal information about you. 
• If you don’t use social media properly, the ramifications will have a negative effect on you and/or others. 
• Photos and information can be leaked if not secure. 
• Embarrassment from images that have been posted but will never be deleted.
• Fake identities.

What should other students know about in regards to social media sites and/or apps?

• Be careful about what you post and who you talk to, because it can come back to haunt you. 
• Read the terms and conditions. 
• Think for 3 seconds before posting anything.
• Turn location services off. 
• Think of the consequences that your post might have.  
• If social media is used in the correct manner, then there are minimal risks associated with it.  
• Don’t give people your personal details. 
• Don’t meet random strangers you talk to online. 
• Check your security features BEFORE you do anything on a site.
• Not everyone is as honest or good willing as you might hope.

What advice would you give a parent to help them understand the risks and implications of improper use of social media by their child?

• Just tell them the shocking facts! 
• Take the time to explain the risks and set boundaries with them. 
• Show them how easy it can be to collect personal information. 
• Set their security settings and show them how to do so. 
• Parents need to understand the risks of social media. Don’t be ignorant about it, get informed. 
• To monitor their child’s use on social media.
• Don’t let your child have their computer, iPad or smartphone in their room. 
• Only allow social media sites in a public place in the house. 
• Be your child’s friend on Facebook.
• Don’t let your child give out their personal details online, especially to strangers. 
• If they do something illegal, they can be prosecuted.
• Take the privilege away if they are not using social media appropriately.
• Make sure they are old enough to use the social media site. It differs from site to site.
• Learn how to set the privacy settings.
• Do not under any circumstances give your child access to social media sites unless you know your child is mature and strong enough to handle what goes on inside these sites. These sites are potentially life ruining and in some cases life threatening. The way we use these sites are completely wrong, to the point where people have made them dangerous.