MANY of us conduct our lives online these days, whether it’s speaking to friends on social networking sites or posting our latest thoughts and musings on Twitter.

While there’s nothing wrong with this there can be risks – and particularly for children and young people. We often share lots of personal information without thinking of the potential consequences; is the person you’ve been chatting online to really who they say they are or the age they claim to be? Have you posted photographs of yourself on a social network site that could come back to embarrass you years later or even hinder you when looking for a job?

West Mercia Police is urging everyone to ‘Think Before You Post’ and learn how to surf safely to avoid some of these problems.

Consider these five SMART rules when you’re online and you won’t go far wrong.

Keep Safe by not giving out personal information to others such as your email address, phone number, home address or photos.

If you decide to Meet up with someone you have only been chatting to online be very cautious, and make sure that youngsters have an adult with them.

Don’t Accept emails, pictures, files or texts from people you don’t know or trust. This could lead to problems as they may contain viruses or hidden messages.

Is the information Reliable? You may find what you’re told online may not be true and people can lie about who they are.

Tell someone if something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if someone you know is being bullied online.

As long as everyone uses common sense and is aware of the dangers then social networking sites can be enjoyed for what they are.

For further information visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk