Given the recent events in the Smash community, I wanted to give a word of advice as to safe internet behavior (especially for minors). I know I have some minors who follow me, and I want to impart some wisdom for them:
Never, ever, ever give out personal information about yourself to someone online, even if the questions seem harmless. You have a right to your privacy, and such information can be exploited by deviants in order to groom, stalk, or harass you. Personal information can include (but isn’t limited to) your name, your age, where you live, where you go to school, etc.
Do not engage with strangers outside a public setting. Here, for example, would include replies, posts, and reblogs; responses that can be viewed by multiple people. While this might sound disappointing, TURN OFF YOUR PMs!
On that note, assuming you leave PMs on for some reason, do not engage with someone unless it is for a paid transaction such as art. I’ve engaged in conversations with followers of mine who are young, and in hindsight I dearly regret it because I feel as though it reinforced the negative behavior of speaking with strangers online. While I’ve always been nothing but friendly and encouraging in an attempt to lift people up, not everyone is quite so benevolent. It is safer to assume that everyone you speak with could be trying to manipulate you or take advantage of you. You don’t know who is behind the other side of the screen.
Do not state your age in your blog header. Doing so leaves you open for being targeted by potential abusers. You know your age, you know what content you should and should not be engaging with, and you know to avoid it. Don’t put a target on your back for a potential abuser.
Turn off anonymous asks. This will enable you to report any asks that are uncomfortable, disturbing, and/or abusive.
Do not share any pictures containing images of you or images that contain indicators of personal information about yourself. Never leave things that could be traced back to you.
If someone sends you a message that you find uncomfortable, disturbing, or you think is trying to pry personal information from you - report it. Additionally, take screenshots of the message in question as proof that it occurred.
Avoid making posts that indicate that you are underage. These often include posts about school, homework, teachers, etc.
Generally avoid making posts about you in general.
The internet is a scary place, and I feel as though the invention of social media has subdued the spread of that simple fact. I understand if many of you see this as alarmist, but it is better to be paranoid and safe than to suffer trauma at the hands of bad people.
Please stay safe, take precautions, and take care of yourself.
