Online safety Mighty Heroes

The world we live in is an exciting place where we can learn, play and talk to people from all over the world. 
But, like all things, there are both good and bad parts to it.
So it’s important we know how to protect ourselves.
These Mighty Heroes have learned to use four special powers to do just that.
Take it away, Wanda, with the power of responsibility.

“Hello, I’m Wanda, and I’m 11 years old. 
I’m so responsible, my dad lets me play with this phone, sometimes. My friends think I can be too responsible, but I don’t think so.
Responsibility is my superpower, and I’m proud of it.
Besides, being responsible means I can help my friends stay safe. For example, my friend Dusty lives here.
Let's see whether he’s being careful while gaming.”

“Huh? My friend Jedda wants to use my account to unlock something in the game.
I guess he needs to know my account name and password.”

“Oh Dusty...
Jedda may be Dusty’s friend, but if someone else used his account and broke the rules of the game, Dusty could get banned.
But that’s not the worst that could happen.
Giving up personal information like names, addresses or account details could really affect Dusty and his family’s lives, especially if there’s money connected to those accounts.
But I won’t let that happen to my friend.”

“Dusty!
Your personal information is precious.
Protect it.
Never give it to a friend or a stranger.
Take responsibility and only share your information with an adult you trust like a parent or teacher.
Only you have the power to protect your personal information.”

“You know what? You’re right!
I’m saying no to Jedda.
I’ll be careful who I share my personal information with.
It’s a good thing you’re so responsible, Wanda.”

“Well, it is my greatest power.
We all have the power to be responsible. 
Protect your personal information, and if you're still not sure, ask an adult you trust for help.”

Protect your personal information. Only you have the power to keep it safe!
Find out more: eSafety.gov.au/educators

Let’s discuss! 
How can you be responsible when you’re online?

What an exciting tale!
Let's discuss how helpful responsibility can be in our lives. 

Grow friendships with love and kindness with the power of respect. 
Let’s go, River.

“Hello.
My name is River and I turned 10 years old last week.
As a sugar glider, I know all about keeping things sweet and it’s not about eating sugary foods – I’m sweet enough, thank you – but being kind to the people around you. 
“When it comes to playing with others, kindness starts with respect, which just so happens to be my superpower.”

“I like to think that our differences make us special.
It’s cool that I can glide through the air, and I also admire how Billie can burrow underground.
But not everybody thinks this way.
And Billie and I found that out when we played a game together.”

“One day Billie and I were playing a new racing game.
We were on a team called the Marsupials.
I was pretty good at it, and Billie, well, he wasn’t so good.
He came last every race and started to get some pretty mean messages.
Even from people on our own team.
They said he should just give up and leave.”

“It started out as a fun game, but I could see that it was starting to make Billie feel bad.
I messaged Billie asking him to come back and play.
The next time Billie was on, I made sure to be super respectful.
I sent him a bunch of supportive messages and stood up for him.”

“I began to cheer Billie on and soon the other players joined me.
They followed my lead and became more encouraging instead of being mean and bullying Billie.
What’s cool is that being respectful helped Billie do better in the game.
Now with his confidence up, we play every weekend.
Billie still hasn't beaten me yet, but when he does, I'll be just as sweet about it.”

“When people are mean, it can bring everybody down.
But with the power of respect, I know my friends and I can always have a great time.
Remember, everyone has feelings, so use the power of respect and stay sweet.”

Remember, be kind and respect people online.
You have the power to respect!
Find out more: eSafety.gov.au/educators

Let’s discuss! 
How can we show respect to others in our lives?

What wonderful things come with the power of respect!
How can we show respect to others in our lives?

Learn how to stay safe by trusting your feelings.
Let’s go, Dusty!

“Hi, I’m Dusty, and I’m 11 years old.
I’ll be the first to admit, I can get a little nervous sometimes, but I know that trusting my feelings is my greatest power.
I ask for help when something doesn’t feel right.
Connecting with people can be fun for the most part, but there are times when things don’t feel right. 
When those moments happen, my stomach starts to feel funny.
That’s when I know I need to step back and away from a situation.”

“Trusting your feelings is a power I’ve been sharing with River.
She’s super friendly.
But there are some people who think that makes her easier to trick.
Here she is now.
Hi River!”

“Hey Dusty, my new friend just made the funniest joke.”

“You've been having lot of fun with him lately, haven't you?”

“Absolutely, and now they want to meet up in person.
I’m so excited.
I wish I could bring you to meet them too, Dusty, but they said I had to come alone.
I'm not so sure about that part.”

“Oh, hold on, River, is that your heart beating fast?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I guess it was.
When I think about meeting this person, something inside me doesn't feel right.”

“What do you think about?”

“Well, why does my new friend want to meet me all alone without my parents? 
That sounds weird, right?"

“It sure does, and it also sounds like you need to trust your feelings.
After all, you don’t know much about this person.
They might not even be a kid like us.”

“They’re even asking for a picture of me now and I don’t even know them.
OK, that’s it.
I’m unfriending them.”
(inhales deeply)

“Feel better?”

“So much better.”

“Remember, not all friends online are who they say they are.
Trust your feelings, and if it feels wrong, step back and make sure to tell an adult you trust.”

Listen to clues in your body when something online doesn’t feel right. 
You have the power to ask a trusted adult for help!
Find out more: eSafety.gov.au/educators

Let’s discuss!
Can you think of a time when something didn’t feel right to you? 
What did you do?

Feelings are a powerful thing indeed!
Can you think of a time when something didn't feel right to you?
What did you do?

And finally, it's time to protect ourselves and seek the truth.
Let’s join Billie and discover the power of investigation.

“Aha! I'm Billie the bilby.
Although I’m only 10 years old, I love nothing more than a good mystery.
My special power is being a detective and investigating information.
That means looking into something more closely to better understand it."

“Investigating is important because not everything we hear is the truth.
So that’s why it’s such a cool power.
We can use it to figure out what is real or not.
Take a look at Wanda over there.
To me, she looks worried about something. 
As a detective and her friend, I need to understand what she is worried about."

“Hey, Wanda, you look worried.
Is anything the matter?"

“Oh, Billy, it’s just awful.
I saw this post: the world is going to end in 24 hours.
See?”
 

“Really, Wanda?
I would’ve thought the world ending would be bigger news.
Let’s take a close look at this blog post.
I bet there’s more to it than meets the eye.
OK, first let’s figure out who posted it: 'WorldEnder24'.
OK, let’s look at some of their older posts.
Aha! See, this person has been making the same post every day for the last month.
That’s the longest 24 hours I’ve ever heard of.”

“Wait, so they’re making it up?
Why would anyone do that?”

“Maybe they really believe it.
But just because it’s online, doesn’t mean it’s true.
It’s always important to investigate who is posting information that you are unsure of.
Most of the time, they’re just looking for attention.”

“Wow, thanks Billy.
I feel a lot better now.”

“With the power of investigation, we can better identify what is real and what’s just plain made up.
Follow the clues and dig a little deeper to uncover the truth.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got other mysteries to solve.

Remember, ask questions and follow the clues.
You have the power to investigate and search for the truth!
Find out more: eSafety.gov.au/educators

Let’s discuss!
How could you investigate to find out the truth?

The power of investigation is certainly interesting!
How could you investigate to find out the truth?
 

Remember to use responsibility, respect, investigation and trusting your feelings.
And remember, if you are ever in doubt, always talk to an adult you trust.
Have fun, stay safe and stay powerful team.