Surf safe!
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The internet offers new opportunities to millions of people, but it also has its dark sides. As the digital becomes part of daily life, experts are increasingly worried that internet users' lack of awareness about cyber safety means they are rapidly becoming their own worst online enemies.
This is why this year's Safer Internet Day (9 February) is focusing on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, where uninformed users run a high risk of unwittingly sharing personal data with the wrong people.
Stephanie Kutscher from Klicksafe, a German internet awareness campaign, points out: "Almost everyone has a profile on Facebook now, and young people, in particular, are very keen to upload party photos, videos and other personal details, but few are aware that this data is visible to everyone and can be used publicly."
This lack of awareness about who can access information posted on social networking sites causes many problems. The media is full of stories of people breaking up with a partner or getting the sack after unthinkingly posting a comment or photo online.
Just last week the UK press reported on the story of a 16-year-old who advertised his party on Facebook, resulting in the police being called after more than 100 people turned up and trashed his parents' house.
Cyber bullying
Young people appear to be at greater risk on the internet, precisely because they are the age group most likely to use social networking sites. A worrying new phenomenon is "cyber bullying", where young people suffer serious abuse, such as harassment or obscene language, via the internet or mobile phone.
This can take the form of an extension of schoolyard bullying, but support agencies warn it can be even more distressing for the victim because the internet allows bullies to target them at any time of day or night, even when they are in their own home.
Protecting your online identity
The main advice for keeping safe online is to think carefully about what you are posting and who can access it before you click that mouse button.
But if you slip up, there are ways to get such information removed. Stephanie Kutscher says that, if you cannot remove the data yourself, the next step is to talk to whoever controls the page or site where it is posted. If all else fails, you can contact the site operator directly and they are under obligation to delete the data.
