TEENS: There is No Changing Your Mind in Cyberspace — Anything You Send or Post Will Never Truly Go Away!

You have a bright future.  While it's sometimes hard to imagine, your decisions today can affect you in 10, even 20 years.

Not to mention that taking nude or semi-nude pictures of yourself and sending them to other people is considered child pronography & therefore a CRIME!

• Decide today that you won't be a victim!  Check out: A Teen's Guide To Safety Planning from the SafeSpace.org a project of
• Break the Cycle & empower yourself.

Your Safety’s at Stake: Tips for Socializing Safely Online

Social Networking Sites' Safety Tips for Tweens & Teens

The Internet is the world’s biggest information exchange: many more people can see your information than you think, including your parents, teachers, future employers, the police and even strangers, some of whom might be dangerous.

Social networking sites have added a new factor to the “friends of friends” equation.  While the sites can increase your circle of friends, they also can increase your exposure to people who have less-than-friendly intentions.  You’ve heard the stories about people who were stalked by someone they met online, had their identity stolen, had their computer hacked or worse...

Please add 1 more lesson to your list: Don’t post private information about yourself online that you don’t want the whole world to know.

Click here for Social Networking Sites' Safety Tips for Tweens & Teens.

Think Before You Text 

Links to Help You Make Good Choices:

• Here are 5 things to think about before sending that text.  Brought to you by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
• You should know what you're getting into when texting.  Get Text Savvy with this website
• Check out: TextEd.ca, an online source for everything textual.  Get the 411 on texting & relationships, including healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, how to deal with harassment and how to cope with stress.  Through a variety of games & activities you can test your texting knowledge, find out how to use this great technology safely & learn what to do when someone crosses the line.  Sign the iChoose! Declaration & let the world know that you choose respect in your textual relationships!
• Don't know how to say no?  Here are some attention getting texts you can send from Thatsnotcool.com

Real Life Stories

Bad things happen.  Don't think it will happen to you?  Think again.

• It's happened to a few celebrities: Vanessa Hudgens sent a picture to Zac Efron & suddenly they were all over the internet.  Miley Cyrus also had some semi nude photos leaked of her.  Learn from their mistakes.  Visit our 'In The News' Section to see these stories.
• Listen to these teens real life stories.
• Watch this YouTube Video about three girls who took provacative photos while taking a bath at a KFC.  Not only did they lose their job but the photos are all over now and they will most likely have trouble getting someone else to hire them after this incident.

Videos

Photos in cyberspace & also on your phone, can be distributed faster than the time it took for you to put those pictures up.  Not only that, but even after you delete those photos, they aren't really gone.  You never know who has saved a copy.

• Here are two PSAs from the Ad Council about how photos in cyberspace can be seen & sent to anyone. 
• This can also be related to texting:  Bulletin Board & Everyone knows your name
• There are always two sides to the story.  Watch these videos to get the scoop on both sides of sexting problem.
• Don't know who to talk to about the harassing texts you're getting?  This YouTube video shows you the reactions you may get from different people you talk to.
• A funny, but true commercial.  When texting becomes too much.  Brought to you by the Ad Coucil and Thatsnotcool.com.  Please click on the picture to see the video.