Safe Online

The internet offers us so many opportunities to get to know people and exchange ideas. Unfortunately, there are always people with bad intentions. Find out how to stay safe online.

Social Media

  1. Social media have many advantages.
  2. The use of social media also involves risks
  3. There are important rules of conduct in social media
  4. You can protect yourself or get help
  5. What is cybersex? - Eroticism on the internet
  6. There are also criminal offences in social media

How to behave online?

1. social media has many advantages

The internet has many advantages. Here are some of them:

Exchange

You can connect and share with people all over the world. You can find people with similar interests. You can easily get in touch with friends at any time.

Inform

You can find out about all sorts of things on social media. You have the opportunity to learn new things. You can easily get help in all kinds of situations.

Interests

If you have a particular interest, you can join or follow these interest groups.

Identity

You can showcase yourself and your special skills on social media and be celebrated for it. You can be creative, sporty, musical, fashionable, cheeky, wild, chilled, funny and much more.

Anonymity

You can create a profile with a nickname and post things like art and nature and never show yourself personally. So as an active person on social media, but still totally anonymous.

2. the use of social media unfortunately also harbors dangers

Distraction

If you are on social media and doing something at the same time, your concentration may be disturbed. People often avoid getting things done by escaping to social media. It's often easier to hide away in your room and communicate with others there. Don't forget that you should also spend time with real people in real life.

Hate

Unfortunately, there are people on the internet who are not respectful and fair. Hate comments can be very hurtful.

Harassment

Unfortunately, social networks also offer perpetrators a good platform. You may receive unsolicited sexual images. You may be asked for nudes. A person harassing you in many different ways and channels. This can go as far as threats, violence and blackmail.

Once on the net, always on the net

Pictures, videos or information posted online by you, but also about you by others, are online and can often no longer be deleted. Something that has been posted online can also be spread very quickly and you have no control over the extent to which this happens.

Incorrect information

There is always false information on social media. Here, too, there are people or organizations who do not mean well. They want to influence you, sell you something or are only interested in their own fame.

Algorithm

Your algorithm will find out exactly where your interests lie. This is then presented to you. So you are moving in a bubble of topics and people. This can lead you to believe that this topic is omnipresent or that all people share these interests or have these views. This creates a false picture of reality or if you look at a sad or brutal topic, it pulls you right into the rabbit hole.

Perpetrators

Unfortunately, there are not only nice and trustworthy people on the Internet, but also perpetrators who can proceed as follows:

  • Listens attentively and takes a conspicuous interest in worries and problems
  • Pays exaggerated compliments
  • Incites against one's own environment such as friends, parents, teachers and reduces contact with others
  • Topics of conversation are often appearance, body, love or sexuality
  • Makes tempting offers such as becoming an influencer, model or actor
  • Bids offers such as branded clothing, cell phones, money...
  • Exerts pressure and uses information as blackmail or makes you feel guilty
  • Uses sexy pictures as bait and demands something in return as proof of trust
  • Sends dickpics to demonstrate power

Watch out for these warning signs and get help if someone is manipulating, pressuring or blackmailing you. It's not your fault!

Gast nathistyle
nathistyle

nathistyle

As a Youtuber and on TikTok, the likeable young Swiss woman is out and about, filming sketches and taking on challenges.

«Smart wombs protect themselves»

3. there are important rules of conduct on social media

To be fair online, there are a few rules that are important:

  • Behave fairly and respectfully towards others
  • Ask about the age of the other person (comply with age regulations for minors)
  • Do not send photos or nudes to others without being asked
  • Do not request erotic images from under-14s in Germany and Austria or under-16s in Switzerland. You can find the legal regulations here.
  • Do not pretend to be someone you are not (fake profile)
  • handle other people's information and photos carefully and responsibly
  • respect borders
  • take responsibility for others and don't become an accomplice
  • form your own opinion and stay objective
  • don't make hate comments!
  • don't offer others information, products or help if you don't have the relevant expertise or the products are fake.

4. you can protect yourself or get help

Protection

  • Protect your privacy (place of residence, cell phone number...)
  • Never publish passwords.
  • Be careful which pictures of yourself you publish
  • Don't neglect your circle of friends or your hobbies in your offline life.
  • If you need a serious and honest opinion about yourself, listen to your family or friends in your real offline life
  • If you want to meet someone you've got to know from the internet, go with someone or go to a public place first. Inform someone about this meeting.
  • Make sure that people you don't know can't access your location.

Help me

  • If something unwanted has happened to you, don't be ashamed. It wasn't your fault. You can confide in a person or a specialist unit. You have the right to get help.
  • Here you will find the support services in your area.
  • Do not respond to provocative or offensive messages.
  • Secure evidence (screenshot, save pictures).
  • Block and report.

5. what is cybersex? - Eroticism on the Internet

There are people who live out sex and eroticism on the Internet. Cybersex involves playing with words, videos or images in a very sexy way. Under 14-year-olds in DE/AT and under 16-year-olds in CH may not be asked for erotic images. Nor may nudes of themselves be produced, sent or published at this age. This is a criminal offense. Exception: If young people take nude or sexual pictures of themselves by mutual consent and share them with friends, this is exempt from punishment in certain cases. Both parties must be in agreement and the age difference must not be too great. Click here for the legal regulations.

Nobody is allowed to demand cybersex, it always requires the consent of all persons involved, even on the internet.

Cybersex can be practiced through nude pictures, role play, masturbation in front of a webcam and with sexual audio recordings.

People who are of legal age to share sexual fantasies, desires, suggestive texts, images or videos with others can still protect themselves:

  • Do not reveal your identity
  • No recognition value such as face, tattoos, jewelry not recognizable in the pictures or videos.
  • Never show your face or body in a picture.
  • Think in advance about what is OK for you and what is not.
  • Set clear boundaries and stop if it becomes too much or uncomfortable for you.

6. there are also crimes on social media

  • Cybergrooming: Adults seek out minors in chat rooms to chat with them, but their intentions are sexual.
  • Cyberstalking: When someone is repeatedly contacted via countless chats, calls or requests, it is called cyberstalking.
  • Abuse: Swearing or making untrue statements that can make the person seem contemptible.
  • Defamation: false accusations and slander
  • Threat: a threat occurs when a person expresses a desire or intention to harm another person.
  • Harassment: inappropriate phone calls or messages, sexual innuendo, obscene jokes, gestures and comments. Stalking, following or harassing.
  • Coercion: Coercion means that someone is put under so much pressure by force or the threat of force that they are coerced into a certain behavior out of fear for their life or physical well-being.

Did you know?

Mark Zuckerberg,

has chosen the color blue for Facebook because he is red/green colorblind.

Test: What type of social media person are you?

Take the quiz and find out what type of social media user you are

Quiz - Welcher Social-Media-Typ bist du?
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How do you use social media?
How much time do you spend in front of a screen every day?
What is your favorite thing to post?
How do you deal with hate comments?
What would you never post?
What border crossings have you experienced?
What do you do about it?
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