To commemorate #saferinternetday that passed not too long ago (check our socials), we decided to look a little closer into the phenomenon that is the internet and social media to be specific.

The internet and social media have quickly become things that are not that easy to forego. I for one know that social media has become so deeply ingrained into my daily life and i most certainly would not even be able to write this blog if we didn’t have internet and social media in the world and I suppose you all wouldn’t be able to read it either. As with all things, the internet has certain rules of thumb that one ought to follow in order to make the net a safer and better place for everyone. Due to the fact that RN offers extra IT lessons to all the kids on the sponsorship program, it is even more pertinent for us to be aware and raise awareness on issues pertaining to internet safety. Cyber bullying as well as a plethora of other issues and dangers can be experienced by all at one point or another if one is not careful or sufficiently aware of the dangers lurking in the web.

We scoured through tons of literature on this topic and came up with the TOP 4 Golden rules for internet safety.
1. LIVE THE GOLDEN RULE. I will act with empathy, compassion and kindness in every interaction, and treat everyone I connect with online with dignity and respect.
2. RESPECT DIFFERENCES. I will appreciate cultural differences and honor diverse perspectives. When I disagree, I will engage thoughtfully and avoid name calling and personal attacks.
3. PAUSE BEFORE REPLYING. I will pause and think before responding to things I disagree with. I will not post or send anything that could hurt someone else, damage someone’s reputation or threaten my safety or the safety of others.
4. STAND UP FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS. I will tell someone if I feel unsafe, offer support to those who are targets of online abuse or cruelty, report activity that threatens anyone’s safety, and preserve evidence of inappropriate or unsafe behavior.

We sure hope the above tips help you when navigating through these social media streets but feel free to do a little research of your own because after all, you can never have too much information about safety. Also if you or anyone you know is interested on learning more about cyber bullying or other forms of bullying and abuse, and what you can do to help, check out stompoutbullying.org. That’s it for this week’s blog post, don’t forget to follow us on our various social platforms linked below 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/RNZambia/
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https://www.instagram.com/response.network/