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Spending time with friends and family

Everyone likes to spend time with friends and family, sharing stories, playing games and chatting.

We might visit people in their homes and maybe eat a meal together. It's fun to find out what people have been doing and share our own news.

When we are together, it's easy to be friendly, kind and help each other out. We learn to share things and wait for our turn when we are playing a game.

It's good to see a smile on someone's face or laugh together with your friends at a funny photo.

What happens when we go online?

We can spend time with friends and family online using a computer or a digital device, like a tablet or a games console.

When we are online, our digital devices are connected using the internet and we can share photos and messages on the screen.

We can also play games together and chat as we play.

We don't have to be in the same place as the people we are talking to. They could be in another country!

Forgetting to be kind

When we share things online, we can't always see each other's faces or hear each other speak.

Sometimes this means we can forget to be kind.

We might share a photo that we think is really funny, but our friend doesn't like the way they look. As they aren't with us, we might share it, without asking them if they mind.

When our friend sees the photo on their screen, they could think we shared it because we were trying to be unkind. This might make them feel sad.

Sometimes, we might forget to be kind when we are playing an online game. Someone could send an unkind message to everyone that makes the other players feel upset.

How to stay kind online

We can be kind online by always checking with a trusted adult before we share a photo or send a message.

We can also stop and think about how a photo or message might make someone feel.

If we are not sure, then it's best not to share it.

What can we do to get help?

You should always check with a trusted adult before you spend time with people online.

If you think someone online is being unkind, to you or someone else, then talk to a trusted adult and show them what has upset you.

It's not good to say something unkind to someone who has upset you. They might not mean to be unkind.

An adult can find out what happened and help to make sure that everyone stays friends.

Remember - always try to be kind online.

Glossary

Here are the meanings of some important words:

Computer – A device that can follow instructions stored in its memory.
Digital device – A machine that has a computer inside.
Screen – A device that shows pictures, text, videos and animations.
Tablet – A type of computer that has a touch screen.
Games console – A device that is used to play computer games on a screen or TV.
Internet – A giant network of computers connected across the world.
Online – Connected to the internet.
Trusted adult – An adult that you know and will keep you safe.

Activities