Communication and collaboration online

3.1 What is a social media profile

A social media profile is a personal page that represents you on a social network. It usually includes information such as your name, profile picture, personal details and the content you share.

Your profile is the first thing other people see when they find you on a social network. It creates a first impression and determines how others perceive you online.

3.2 What information is included in a profile

Depending on the platform, a social media profile may include:

• Name and surname (or a username);
• Profile photo and cover photo;
• Date of birth;
• Location (city, country);
• Work and education information;
• Personal interests and hobbies;
• Posts, photos and videos you have shared;
• Friends or followers list.

⚠ Attention

Not all information needs to be shared on your profile. The more personal information you share publicly, the more vulnerable you may be to privacy risks. It is a good practice to share only what you are comfortable with everyone seeing.

3.3 Public vs. private profiles

Most social networks allow you to choose between a public and a private profile.

💡 Tip for parents

• Consider setting your personal social media profiles to private, especially if you share content related to your children or family;
• Regularly review your privacy settings, as social networks sometimes change their policies;
• Check what information is visible to people who are not your friends or followers.

3.4 Managing and updating your profile

It is important to regularly review and update your social media profile to ensure that the information is accurate and that your privacy settings are appropriate.

📘 Steps to review your social media profile

1. Open the social network and go to your profile page.
2. Check what information is visible (name, location, photos, posts).
3. Go to the privacy settings and review who can see your profile and posts.
4. Remove or hide any information you no longer want to be public.
5. Update your profile photo and cover photo if needed.
6. Check your friend or follower list and remove people you do not know.

📝 Activity

Open one of your social media profiles (e.g., Facebook or Instagram).

1. Check your profile: what information is visible to everyone?

2. Is there any information you would like to remove or hide?

3. Are your privacy settings set to public or private?

4. When was the last time you reviewed your privacy settings?

3.5 Guiding your child’s first profile

When a child reaches the minimum age requirement (usually 13) for social media platforms, parents have a crucial opportunity to guide the creation of their first profile safely and responsibly.

Key considerations before profile creation

• Age check and consent: Most major platforms require users to be at least 13 years old. Ensure your child understands this requirement.
• The “why”: Discuss why your child wants a profile and establish clear expectations about its purpose.
• The monitoring agreement: For younger teens, it is reasonable for a parent to have access to the account, especially during the initial months. This must be a transparent agreement based on trust.

📘 Creating a safe first profile together

1. Choose a strong username: Select a username that does not contain the child’s full name, date of birth or school name.
2. Set the profile to private: This is the most crucial step. A private profile ensures that only people the child approves can see their posts.
3. Use a safe profile photo: Choose a photo that does not reveal identifying background details (like a school logo or house number).
4. Review the bio/about section: Ensure the bio does not contain any personal information (age, location, phone number).
5. Review friends/followers: Teach your child the rule: Only accept requests from people you know in real life.
6. Activate parental controls: On certain platforms, enable the built-in parental settings to help manage time limits and monitor activity.

💡 Essential safety rules for a new user

• Rule of Three: Teach your child to never post content that reveals their location, their phone number or their home/school address.
• Think Before You Post: Everything posted online is permanent. Ask: “Would I be comfortable if my teacher or future employer saw this?”
• Block and Report: Empower your child to block and report unwanted or mean messages immediately.

The digital world often presents challenges in social interaction, where conflicts and unkindness can quickly escalate into cyberbullying. Beyond setting up technical controls, teaching children proactive, self-managed problem-solving strategies is essential for building digital resilience. One highly effective framework for empowering students to manage peer conflict, both online and offline, is the '5 Finger Tools' for strong standing in CyberHealth.

This method provides a structured, five-step problem-solving strategy that is easy for children and adolescents to remember and apply in a variety of challenging social situations. These situations can range from minor classroom disagreements to perceived bullying incidents in the playground or within online group chats. Implementing this as a whole-school approach can not only equip students with conflict resolution skills but can also contribute to eradicating bullying by providing a consistent, known response mechanism. The strategy emphasizes graduated responses, moving from the least confrontational actions to the most formal reporting mechanisms. Teaching these steps helps students avoid emotional, impulsive reactions, fostering a sense of control and competence when faced with peer pressure or hostility.

The Hi 5 Steps for Conflict Resolution:

1. Ignore: The first and simplest step. This tool is crucial for managing low-level annoyance or attention-seeking behavior. If an unwanted message or comment is not dangerous and is simply aimed at provoking a reaction, ignoring it takes away the power from the sender. This is particularly useful online, where responding to trolls or minor mean comments often fuels the behavior.

2. Talk Friendly: If the behavior is confusing or unintentional, the next step is to address it gently. A friendly response can clarify a misunderstanding or politely request the person to stop without escalating the conflict. For example, a child might say: “I think you misunderstood my post, it was just a joke,” or “Could you please stop sending me those messages?”

3. Walk Away: If ignoring and talking friendly do not work, the physical or digital distance is necessary. In an online environment, this means closing the app, leaving the group chat, muting a user or blocking the profile. Walking away signals that the interaction is unacceptable and protects the child from further harm.

4. Talk Firmly: This step requires the child to use assertive communication. If the unwanted behavior continues, the child should clearly and firmly tell the person: "Stop that now. I don't like it," or "Do not tag me in posts like that again." This is an important lesson in setting and maintaining personal boundaries.

5. Report: If the firm talk does not stop the behavior, or if the incident is severe, immediate reporting is mandatory. The child should know to report the incident to a trusted adult (parent, teacher, school administrator). Online, this also involves using the platform’s specific reporting tools (blocking, reporting the post/account). This ensures that adults are aware and can step in to handle the situation, especially when dealing with persistent harassment or serious cyberbullying.

By teaching the ‘5 Finger Tools’ framework, parents can transition from being constant monitors to coaches, empowering their children to build the necessary social-emotional skills for healthy interactions in all areas of their lives, both digital and physical.

3.6 Fake accounts, bots and impersonation

The online environment is not always populated by genuine users. Fake accounts, automated bots and malicious impersonators pose a direct threat to privacy, safety and reliable communication.

Understanding non-genuine accounts

• Fake accounts: Profiles created using false identities, often to engage in scams, harassment or spread disinformation.
• Bots: Automated software programs that perform repetitive tasks, such as posting comments or sending mass messages.
• Impersonation: Creating a profile that deliberately copies a known person or organization to trick users into sharing private information.

Risks associated with fake profiles

• Phishing and scams: Fake accounts often use personalized information to craft convincing messages aimed at stealing passwords or money.
• Data harvesting: Bots are programmed to rapidly scrape public profile information and photos.
• Erosion of trust: Constant exposure to fake interactions makes it difficult for children to trust genuine connections.

💡 How to spot a fake or bot account

• Profile picture: Often a stock image, a very attractive photo that seems too professional or no photo at all.
• Activity: They post excessively and rapidly, usually irrelevant or generic comments.
• Followers/Following: Very few followers or they follow thousands of accounts while having only a handful of posts.
• Username: Often consists of a real-sounding name followed by a long string of random numbers (e.g., jane_smith89457).

📘 Verifying a suspicious friend request

1. Stop and check: Before accepting, examine the profile for red flags (generic photos, low activity, suspicious username).
2. Cross-reference: If the profile claims to be someone you know, search for the person’s original, established account.
3. Use an alternative channel: Contact the real person directly via text message or phone call and ask: “Did you just send me a new friend request?”
4. Block and report: If the account cannot be verified or is clearly malicious, immediately block and report it.

👨‍👩‍👧 Example from everyday life

A teenager receives a message from a new account claiming to be a friend who “lost their phone and is locked out.” The account asks for the teenager’s password to retrieve a shared photo. The parent, having discussed fake accounts, prompts the child to verify the request through a different channel (like a quick phone call to the real friend’s parent) before sharing any sensitive information.

⚠ Attention

Teach your child to treat unsolicited messages from strangers, especially those asking for urgent help or personal information, with extreme skepticism. The core rule is: Never share passwords, financial details or identifying information with an unverified account.

3.7 Online image and reputation management

In the digital age, a social media profile is more than just a personal diary; it is often a public

portfolio that impacts how others perceive a person. Managing one’s online image and reputation is crucial for long-term success and well-being.

The long-term impact of online content

• Professional screening: A high percentage of employers and university admissions officers review applicants’ social media profiles.
• Context loss: Content posted in a specific context can be easily taken out of context years later.
• Future opportunities: An image or post deemed inappropriate today can prevent a teenager from getting an internship, a scholarship or a job years later.

💡 Guiding your child on online image

• Consistency: Encourage your child to maintain a consistent and authentic image that reflects their true values.
• The “Grandma Rule”: Teach your child to pause before posting and ask: “Would I be comfortable if my strictest teacher, my future boss or my grandmother saw this?”
• Focus on positive contribution: Encourage them to share content that reflects their interests, achievements and positive contributions.

📝 Activity

Imagine your child is applying for their dream job in five years.

1. What are three positive things they are passionate about that their profile should highlight?

2. What kind of content would you want them to remove now to avoid embarrassment in the future?

3. Discuss the distinction between a personal journal (which should be kept private) and a social media profile (which is a form of public communication).

3.8 Advanced profile security

While simply setting a profile to private is a necessary first step, strong digital security requires technical measures to protect accounts from unauthorized access, hacking and data theft.

Moving beyond basic passwords

• Strong, unique passwords: A strong password should be long (12+ characters), use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Every account must have a unique password.
• Password managers: Encourage the use of a reputable password manager (e.g., Google Password Manager, LastPass, 1Password) to safely generate and store complex, unique passwords.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-Factor Authentication is the single most effective way to prevent unauthorized access.

• How 2FA works: Even if a hacker knows the username and password, they cannot log in without the second factor; a unique, temporary code sent to the user’s phone or authenticator app.
• Why it matters: If your child’s password is stolen in a data breach, 2FA ensures their account remains locked to the thief.
• The best method: Authenticator apps (like Google Authenticator or Authy) are generally considered safer than codes sent via text message.

📘 Setting up 2-Step Verification

1. Go to Settings: On the social media platform, navigate to “Settings” or “Security and Login.”
2. Find 2FA: Locate the “Two-Factor Authentication” or “2-Step Verification” option.
3. Choose a method: Select your preferred security method (e.g., Authenticator App, Text Message or Security Key).
4. Follow prompts: The system will generate backup codes (which you must save offline) and guide you through the setup.
5. Test it: Log out and log back in to ensure the process works correctly.

⚠ Attention

Never share your 2FA code with anyone, even if they claim to be from the platform’s support team. Customer support will never ask for your one-time login code.

📝 Activity

1. On your primary social media account, check if Two-Factor Authentication is enabled.

2. If it is not enabled, use the step-by-step guide above to activate it.

3. Discuss with your child the concept of 2FA. Why is it safer than just a password?

3.9 Platform-specific profile differences

The same person may have different social media profiles and each one should be structured and managed differently, reflecting the distinct purpose of the platform.

The importance of audience and tone

Encourage children and teenagers to consider their audience before posting on any platform. A common mistake is treating all profiles the same. Posting casual content on a professional profile can damage credibility, just as sharing personal details on a public entertainment profile can compromise safety.

👨‍👩‍👧 Example from everyday life

A college-bound teenager is using three platforms: LinkedIn for a scholarship application, Instagram for friends and TikTok for funny videos. The parent helps the teen understand that the photo used on LinkedIn must be professional, the Instagram profile should be private and the TikTok profile should never feature their full name or college details, keeping the professional and private lives separate.

💡 Reviewing Platform Terms of Service

• When your child creates a new profile, make it a family habit to spend 10 minutes reviewing the platform’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy together. Focus on two questions: 1) What is the minimum age? 2) What content is the platform explicitly prohibited?

📝 Activity

Choose three different social media platforms you or your child use.

1. For each, define the ideal audience (e.g., family, colleagues, classmates).

2. What is the riskiest type of information to share on each of these three platforms?

3. Review the privacy settings for each platform to ensure they match the platform’s purpose.