Why is staying safe so important?

It's important to know how to stay safe when you're using the internet. You should never give out any personal information when you're online, no matter who you think you're talking to.You should always keep in mind that internet users can pretend to be anyone they like. They can lie about their age, their interests and whether they're male or female. No matter how long you've been chatting, remember that they're still strangers; you don't really know them at all.

Here are some tips:

• your page is still a public place, so putting anything on your page that you wouldn't want your parents, teacher or boss to see is not a good idea
• you can never be sure that other users are being truthful about their online identities, so be careful about what information you give out
• to think about whether you know someone well enough before accepting someone into your group of linked friends
• to make sure you know who to contact to report abuse or bullying on your page and how your complaint will be dealt with