Lesson video

Hello, my name's Miss Willow and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called Sharing Personal Information Online and it fits into the unit Media Influence: How Can I Look After Myself? Before we begin, we want to acknowledge that this lesson contains sensitive issues, some of what we cover might be upsetting for some people.

You must be supervised by an adult when completing this lesson.

If an adult isn't with you at the moment, please close this lesson and come back to it when you have an adult with you.

If at any point during this lesson you feel upset or concerned, please close the screen and speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start on today's lesson.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain the risks of sharing personal information and personal images online.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules, these help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

Laura says that we'll need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person themselves.

Next, Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves.

If we want to refer to a story or an experience, we can refer to someone as my friend.

This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

Next, Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion.

We should never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob says, "No judgment.

We can explore any beliefs or misunderstandings that we have about a topic without fear of being judged by others." We're now going to take a look at keywords for today's lesson.

Our first keyword is personal information.

This is data that tells people something about us, such as our name, date of birth, address, and school name.

Next we have harassment.

This is when someone repeatedly bothers, bullies, or disturbs another person, making them feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or upset.

Our final keyword is nudes.

In this context, this is naked or semi-naked photos or videos of someone.

Today's lesson is split into two learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called, what is risky about sharing personal information? And our second learning cycle is called, what is risky about sharing personal images? Let's make a start on our first learning cycle, what is risky about sharing personal information? Social media is used by some people to share personal information about our lives with friends and family.

Jack says, "My aunt shared a picture of my cousin winning a football match, his team won a trophy." Adults sometimes use social media to post personal information about significant events in their lives.

In this example, someone has shared online, "Sinead's got a new job, she is now deputy manager.

Congratulations to Sinead on her achievement." People can learn things about our lives and identify us using social media.

Therefore, it's important that we choose a setting that controls who we're visible to online.

Every site will be slightly different, but the main settings are public, this means that anyone can find you on the site and look at the content that you post, friends only, this means that only people you've accepted can see the content that you post, and finally, selected contacts, this means only people you individually select can see the content that you post.

However, just because you have limited visibility on your privacy settings, it doesn't mean that others do too.

Sophia says, "My friend tagged me in a photo, which meant everyone that follows her, even if they don't follow me, can see me." Ultimately, if you're on social media in any way, then there's still a risk that your personal information can be shared or accessed, no matter how strict your privacy settings are.

Ms. Walsh explains that most social media sites require users to be at least 13 years old before they can register an account.

It's important to wait until you're the right age before you decide whether to sign up to social media.

And remember that just because you are old enough for social media, it doesn't mean you have to use it.

You should also get the permission of your parent or carer.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing so far.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

If your privacy settings are set to private, then this guarantees that no one on the internet will see your personal information.

What do you think? This is true or false? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said that although setting your account to private means that people can't directly see information on your account, it doesn't prevent others from including you in posts or tagging you in photos or videos.

Well done if your answer is something like this.

There are several ways people can discover our personal information or identify others through social media.

A clear profile picture means that you are recognizable.

Giving details about your behavior and interests means that you can easily be located.

Making your username the same as, or close to, your name makes it easy to find your identity.

And references to where you go to school can identify where you live.

Here we have Aisha.

She's got a photo of her online.

Her username is her name.

The hashtags that she's used in her profile relate to where she is and what she enjoys.

This is all examples of personal information that could be found online.

Our personal information is valuable to organizations as they can make money from it in their advertising strategies.

However, our personal information can also be used to put us at more serious risk through phishing and scams, cyberbullying and harassment, loss of privacy and personal security, and exposure to predators and scammers.

These are all ways that our personal information can be used to put us at risk.

We're going to take a deeper look at some of these examples now.

Phishing is when criminals send fake emails pretending to be from real companies.

They trick people into sharing personal information like their passwords or their bank details.

Scams that try to get information from a user can result in identity theft, this means that someone's identity is stolen by someone else, bank accounts being hacked and money being stolen, and installation of malware, this is a program that's specifically designed to gain unauthorized access to a device's network.

Police Officer Paula says that an email with an offer that's too good to be true is often a sign of a scam.

Cyberbullying is when technology is used to bully, threaten, or target another person.

It's a type of harassment and can happen through texts, posts, and messages.

Cyberbullying could also involve posting personal information, pictures or videos designed to hurt or embarrass someone.

This can result in emotional distress, an impact on mental health, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, reputational damage, so this means that someone's reputation might change in a negative way.

Sharing personal information can also result in a loss of privacy and personal security.

This can make it easier for strangers or cybercriminals to target someone.

Misuse of this information can result in identity theft, stalking, and even physical harm.

Sam says, "My mom says not to post online with any personal information because of the risk of identity theft.

Some online predators will pretend to be someone that they aren't.

They may manipulate or exploit someone into revealing personal information about themselves, persuade someone to meet them, so a stranger, in person.

Ms. Walsh reminds us to always speak to a trusted adult if you're contacted by someone that you don't know online.

Never agree to meet in person as this could lead to dangerous situations involving personal safety.

We can very rarely be certain that anyone is who they say they are online.

We are now going to talk about online safety and the law.

Specific laws around cybercrime make phishing and other scams that result in fraud illegal.

Currently, there isn't a specific law that addresses cyberbullying.

The sort of behavior is prosecuted under harassment laws instead.

Any stalking, online or in person, is illegal, so this could mean tracking someone or following someone without their consent.

Predatory behavior by an adult towards a young person, including messaging or attempting to meet up, is very dangerous and must be reported to the police.

Ms. Walsh says that it's really important to always speak to a trusted adult if you're worried about any online contact.

What you post in your personal life online can sometimes be seen by schools, universities, or employers.

That information can influence decisions, so for example, references, applications, or opportunities given to you.

For example, a reference can be given by an old employer to a new employer to describe a little bit about what you are like and whether you are a good person to hire.

Even private posts or group chats can be shared more widely, for example, through reposting or screenshots.

Ms. Walsh says, "Remember, your digital footprint can follow you into your future." Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to decide if the statement is true or false.

Cybercriminals may use a false identity to access someone's personal information.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

It's true that unfortunately cybercriminals may use a false identity to access someone's personal information.

This means that they might pretend to be someone else in order to get someone's personal information.

Well done if you got this right.

We are now moving on to our first practice task, and well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to explain in one paragraph the risks associated with sharing personal information online.

I'd like you to include four potential risks.

Pause the video and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Your answers may have looked a little bit like this.

Sharing personal information online can be risky as someone could fall victim to phishing and scams or lose their privacy and personal security.

Furthermore, someone could also become a target of cyberbullies or be exposed to predators or scammers.

Therefore, it's very important to keep your personal information safe online.

While done if your answer was anything like this or had some similar ideas.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle, what is risky about sharing personal images? Personal information can also be given away when we send photos and videos of ourselves.

This is then referred to as personal images.

Once this content has been sent to someone else, we no longer have any control over it, even if we delete it ourselves.

Photos or videos that we share with others can be shared with other people, including strangers, without your permission or knowledge.

They can also be posted online for others to see, again, without our knowledge or consent.

They can also be edited and used in a different context than we intended.

An image or video of someone who's naked is an example of a personal image.

These are often referred to as nudes, intimate images, or indecent images.

Sending or exchanging these types of personal images is often described as sexting.

Nudes can refer to photos or videos of a person in their underwear, photos or videos of a person's naked body or part of their naked body, including photos of their genitals, and it can also refer to photos or videos of sexual activity taking place.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing with this learning cycle.

Is this true or false? Sexting is when someone sends a naked or semi-naked photo or video of themselves to someone else.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you say that this is true.

It's true that sexting is when someone sends a naked or semi-naked photo or video of themselves to someone else.

Well done if you remembered this.

A nude can be shared very quickly.

, let's have a look at what this can look like.

So first of all, someone can take a nude, they could share it with one person.

This one person could share it with two other people.

One of those people could share it with three others.

Those people could share it with three other people each.

This is a visual reminder of how any photos or images that we send to others can be used, shared, or posted online by other people, including by adults.

Once an image is sent, it's very difficult and often impossible to stop it from being reshared.

Copies of the photo or video can be saved, screenshotted, or uploaded again, even if you delete the original.

Ms. Walsh says to think carefully before sending an image, you lose control the moment it leaves your device.

Even trusted friends can share things further and you cannot guarantee that every copy can be deleted.

If a nude is widely shared, this could make the sender feel anxious, embarrassed, and can make them vulnerable to exploitation.

If someone threatens to share an indecent image, they can still get into serious trouble, even if they never actually share it.

Some people have casual attitudes about sending nudes, such as thinking things like sending or receiving a nude is a way of checking out if you like someone, sending a nude is just a way of flirting, if you don't want to see a nude, you can just not open the message, or sending a nude is not a big deal, everyone does it.

However, the reality of sharing nudes can have serious consequences.

Someone who shared a nude might think something like, I worry about my photos being shared with others or being posted online, I sometimes feel pressured to send a nude, I regret sending nudes because I can't take them back, I worry someone won't like me anymore if I don't agree to send a nude.

These different perspectives show why it's so important to understand both the social pressures around nudes and the real risks involved.

It can also be an upsetting experience to receive an unsolicited, which means not asked for nude.

Young people who have experienced this report feeling disgusted, angry, threatened, upset, shocked, embarrassed, and ashamed.

No one should be made to feel like this.

And it's really important to always speak to a trusted adult.

If you have worries or concerns about this.

A trusted adult can help you to report the unsolicited nude and block the sender.

We are now going to do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to complete the statements below.

Sending a nude could make the sender feel anxious, embarrassed, and could make them vulnerable to, blank.

Receiving an, blank, nude could make someone feel disgusted, threatened, or shocked.

Could you fill in the blanks of those statements? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the missing words were exploitation and unsolicited.

The completed sentences should now say, sending a nude could make the sender feel anxious, embarrassed, and can make them vulnerable to exploitation.

Receiving an unsolicited nude could make someone feel disgusted, threatened, or shocked.

Well done if you completed these sentences.

Whether you're sent a nude by someone else or you have shared or sent a nude yourself, always seek help from a trusted adult.

This could be a parent, carer, teacher, social worker, safeguarding lead at school, or the police, anyone you trust to give you advice and help.

Remember, when you seek help from trusted adults about nudes, you will receive support and protection.

The priority is keeping you safe, not getting you into trouble.

So, what can be done about nudes being shared? And who can help? Ms. Walsh says that if nude sharing happens, parents and carers can offer support and may be able to help a young person to report it.

Teachers and other trusted adults in school can also help.

There are serious risks of sending or sharing a nude.

Sending or sharing could lead to a criminal record or prosecution.

The nude could lead to bullying or harassment.

The nude could be used to exploit someone else, and this is called sextortion.

We're going to take a look at some of the ways that nudes could be used to exploit someone else.

This could happen by someone threatening to share the nude and demanding money from someone if they don't, and it could also happen if someone threatens to post existing nudes unless more are sent, or threatening to send to friends or family.

These are both examples of sextortion and this is a really serious crime.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Laura is talking about where to go for support if someone is worried about nudes that they've sent or received online.

Can you help to complete her statement? Laura says, "If someone is worried about online nudes, they can seek support from a trusted adult, like a parent or carer, teacher, social worker, a safeguarding lead at school, or blank.

Where I've said the word blank, can you decide which word is missing? Pause the video, talk to people around you, have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the missing word was the police.

If someone is worried about online needs, they can seek support from a trusted adult, like a parent or carer, teacher, social worker, a safeguarding lead at school, or the police.

Well done if you got this right.

We are now going to talk about sending indecent images and the law.

Under UK law, so the Protection of Children Act 1978 and Criminal Justice Act 1988, it's illegal to create, keep, send, or receive an indecent image of anyone under 18.

Police officer Paula says that even if the person in the content consented and/or created the content themselves, this is illegal.

It's also illegal if the content was created using artificial intelligence, often called AI, or digital manipulation.

So this includes deepfakes, which are realistic fake images or videos created using AI, face-swapping, this means putting someone's face onto another person's body, image alteration, so editing real photos to create fake nudes.

Creating or sharing AI-generated indecent content of anyone under 18 is just as illegal as real photographs.

Even if no actual photo or video was taken, the law treats this fake content the same way.

If someone creates or shares AI-generated indecent images or videos of you, report it immediately to a trusted adult.

It's also against the law to trick, force, or coerce young people into sharing nude images.

Coercion means forcing someone to do something against their will through threats, pressure, or intimidation.

Ms. Walsh says that it's important to seek support if you or someone that you know is being coerced into sharing indecent images.

You will not be in trouble for sharing an image of yourself with either school or police, but action will be taken to keep you safe.

Let's do another check for understanding.

According to UK law, which statement about indecent images of under-18s is correct? A, it's only illegal if the person in the image didn't give their consent, B, it's illegal to create, keep, send, or receive such images in all circumstances, or C, it's only illegal if the images are shared with strangers or online.

What do you think? Which statement about indecent images of under-18s is correct? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that B is correct.

It's illegal to create, keep, send, or receive such images in all circumstances.

Well done if you got this right.

We're now moving on to your final practice task, and well done for your hard work in this lesson so far.

I'd like you to read the following case study and explain whether the friends were right in their advice.

What could they have done differently? Calvin and Sharmin are both 16 and they go to the same school.

They've been dating for three months and have sent nudes to each other consensually on several occasions.

They trusted each other not to share these.

When Sharmin broke up with Calvin, he felt embarrassed in front of his friends, so he shared some of the nudes that Sharmin had sent him.

Sharmin found out that Calvin had shared her images when a group of boys started to stare and point at her at school.

Her friends were supportive, but told her to laugh it off and not worry because Calvin had just proved that he didn't deserve her.

Can you explain whether the friends were right in their advice and think about what could they have done differently? Pause the video and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

You might have said something like this.

Sharmin's friends were supportive, but their advice wasn't good.

Telling Sharmin to laugh it off was wrong because Calvin had committed a serious crime by sharing her nudes without permission.

The friends should have done more to help Sharmin.

For example, they could have told her that what Calvin did was illegal and very serious.

They could have encouraged her to tell a trusted adult, like a parent, teacher, or school safeguarding lead.

They could have helped her to understand that this wasn't her fault.

They could have supported her in reporting Calvin's behavior to the school, and they could have reminded her that getting help would be about keeping her safe, not getting her in trouble.

Well done if your answer was anything like this.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that we need to be careful about the personal information that we share online.

Our data is valuable to companies and can be used to inform targeted advertising.

Our personal information also leaves a digital footprint which can impact us in the future.

It can be used as part of a scam or fraud and can lead to crimes, such as identity theft, harassment, stalking, or even physical harm.

It's against the law to create, send, or receive indecent images of someone under 18, including AI-generated images, and this can lead to serious consequences, such as a criminal record, bullying, or exploitation.

It's important to remember to always seek support from a trusted adult if you're worried about a nude that you have seen or sent.

During today's lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries or questions, and if you do, it's really important that you share these with a trusted adult.

There's also some resources on the screen that are there to help you too.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you again soon.