Safe Words Only

Lesson script (for the kid, with a grown-up nearby)

Hi! I'm so glad you're here. We're going to learn about something important today, but it's not going to be scary. It's about words. About which words are safe to share online, and which ones we keep to ourselves.

You know how when you meet a new person at the park, you don't tell them where you live? Even if they're nice? That's because grown-ups have taught you that some things are private. The same rules work on the internet.

Here's the deal. There are some words that are perfectly safe to share online — like your first name, or that you like dinosaurs, or that your favorite color is purple. Those are fine.

And there are some words that we keep to ourselves. We're going to learn the five big ones.

Word 1: Your last name

Your first name is okay. But your last name plus your first name is like a treasure map to find you. So online, we use just our first name, or even a nickname. Like, my friend Alex online could be just “Alex,” not “Alex Smith.”

Word 2: Where you live

Your address is private. Your street name is private. The name of your school is private too — because that tells someone where you are every day. We don't share these online, even with someone who seems nice.

Word 3: How old you are

Your age is private. Some grown-up scammers online try to talk to kids, and they look for kids by asking how old they are. So if someone online asks how old you are, you don't have to answer. You can ignore the question. Or you can tell a grown-up.

Word 4: Your phone number

Your phone number is private. If someone online asks for it — even a friend from school — that's a moment to ask a grown-up first. Phone numbers belong to your family, not to the internet.

Word 5: Pictures of where you are

Pictures are tricky. A picture of your favorite stuffed animal? Fine. A picture of you in your front yard with your house in the background? That tells people where you live. A picture of your school's name on a sign? Same thing.

Before you post a picture, the grown-up in your house gets to look first. Always. That's not because you did anything wrong — it's because grown-ups know what's in the background that you might not have noticed.

Recap (one sentence)

First name: okay. Last name, address, age, phone number, and pictures of where you are: not okay.