How 2 stay safe on the internet!!!!

UnpaidIntern

A lot of people on this forum are in great need of this guide for some reason, so, in order of most importance:

Do not give any personal information to anyone you do not know in real life. This includes but is not limited to:

Your phone number, people can get your full name and address from a phone number do NOT give it away.
Your last or first name
Obviously your address
A photo of yourself or your surroundings (geoguesser exists)

Do not engage in spaces where s*xual topics are casually discussed (including through weird asf memes), this includes private 1-on-1 dms, group chats, and especially any discord, leave immediately if you see behavior like this. Avoid individuals who casually discuss explicit topics as well. References to explicit content, subtle, non-subtle, or straight up cropped images or quotes from explicit content apply as well
(EXAMPLE: lowkey want to mention someone here but I also don't want to as well ... although wtf is @ShuriKitty's signature "notices buldge, "OwO what is this"" dude why did you put that as your signature).
Do not online date under the age of 18 (when you don't know the other person irl). People can easily lie about their age, even if you ask for a face reveals. Face reveals can be faked by using photos of random people or children (they may also source unsearchable photos from others they may be messaging).
Do not engage in toxic spaces such as twitter, random badly moderated discords, etc. People who are overly aggressive, bullying, or attempt to isolate others are HUGE red flags.
Be cautious around people who try to manipulate you with tactics such as:

Threatening you with the end of whatever validation, praise, or friendship that they usually force onto you ("whats up bestie!!!!!", or "You are genuinely the best person i've ever met!" when you literally just met them) in order to try to force you to do anything.
Just threatening you in general tbh
Validation and praise being utilized as weapons
Forcing you to do things you explicitly don't want to do
Pressuring you into doing anything (as an example, look up "force-femming: g*ooming through memes" on youtube it can get really subtly obvious).
I just realized that the first bullet point lowkey covered all of the manipulation tactics people use, also rule 5 applies in real life as well.
Memes and jokes can also be manipulative and can easily stop being jokes.

Try to avoid peer pressure, don't follow trends or join groups to feel validated by randos on the internet. Example: that one weird face reveal trend where people are face revealing for the literal reason of "because everyone else is doing it". This applies in real life too. Also still especially avoid people who intentionally pressure you into doing things.
Even if you trust someone online you don't know irl for any reason, always apply these rules to interactions with them.

StarryPeach

this was lowkey helpful <:0 tyyyyyyy lowkey i keep giving my first name out TwT