- Home
- /
- E-Safety
E-Safety
At The Whitby High School we appreciate the vast developments in technologies which allow students to study and communicate via the internet. However, it is vitally important that we educate our students in the risks associated with internet use, and the steps that must be taken in order to surf the web, play online games, enjoy social media, and communicate with others safely.
This page features curated content approved by the school, including online guides, fact sheets and school policies. If you have any questions or concerns about E-safety, cyber crime, cyber bullying, or other related issues, please contact us.
Popular Apps
TikTok (13+)
TikTok (formerly called Musical.ly) is a social media platform that lets you create, share and discover 60 second videos. You can use music and effects to enhance your videos and you can also browse other people’s videos and interact with them.
More information from NETAWARE
Everything you need to know about TikTok from PARENTZONE
Snapchat (13+)
The Snapchat app lets you send photos, short videos or messages to your friends. Pictures and videos, known as Snaps, usually appear temporarily before disappearing, though they can be captured via screenshots. The Stories feature lets you share Snaps in a sequence for up to 24 hours. Using the Discover screen lets you watch Stories from friends, celebrities and brands.
More information from NETAWARE
Everything you need to know about Snapchat from PARENTZONE
Instagram (13+)
Instagram is a picture and video sharing app. Users can post content on their profile grid or to their stories, which last 24 hours. You can follow your friends, family, celebrities and companies on Instagram. Instagram also has a live streaming feature.
More information from NETAWARE
Everything you need to know about Instagram from PARENTZONE
Facebook (13+)
Facebook is a social network which lets you create a page about yourself. You can add friends, write on people’s pages, join groups, share photos and videos, and play games. Facebook Live lets you broadcast live videos of yourself using the mobile app. Messenger allows you to instant message in group chats or one to one, using text, audio, photos or videos. It also lets you share your live location with friends.
More information from NETAWARE
SECRET CONVERSATIONS using Facebook Messenger
Twitter (13+)
Twitter is a social media network which allows users to post short messages (‘tweets’) of up to 280 characters. Tweets can consist of text,photos,videos,audio,links,polls and GIFs – often linked by hashtags if they share a common theme or message. Hashtags receiving high levels of interest are said to be ‘trending’. Twitter users can engage with other people’s posts by liking, retweeting (sharing) or tweeting back (commenting on). Since the entrepreneur Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion, he has implemented several major changes to the platform.
Popular Games
Call of Duty (18+)
The Call of Duty (CoD) series is a worldwide gaming phenomenon, with millions of copies sold every year. While 2021’s release, Vanguard, wasn’t quite as well received, this latest entry – Modern Warfare II – has so far proved a massive commercial success. A sequel to the Modern Warfare reboot (and not to be confused with the original Modern Warfare 2, from back in 2009), the game is an online shooter which features – unsurprisingly – extreme violence, rendered in realistic graphics. Amid the explosions and political nature of the plot, there’s much for parents to be aware of.
Fortnite (12+)
Fortnite is a popular survival action game where up to 100 live players can fight each other to be the last one standing. The game includes heavy violence but with little blood or gore. You can talk to other players using public, private and voice chat.
More information from NETAWARE
Everything you need to know about Fortnite from PARENTZONE
Roblox (7+)
Roblox is an online game and app where you can create your own games or play games that other users have made. Some ‘user-created’ games may feature violent or disturbing themes, so guidance maybe required. There’s also the option to chat to other players, which is open by default, but you can change this to private or friends only.
More information from NETAWARE
Advice on In-game Chat
New Apps
BeREAL (13+)
BeReal is the latest trending social media app. The concept is that people see others in their authentic day-to-day lives, sharing candid photos without editing or applying filters. Each day at a random time, users are simultaneously notified to take a picture of what they’re doing at the exact moment. The two-minute window to submit an image means there’s no time to select a particularly glamorous or exciting activity. BeReal shares two pictures: a selfie, and an image of the immediate surroundings. Users can only view and react to their friends’ photos once they upload their own.
Sendit (12+)
Sendit is an add – on to Snapchat, not a standalone app: it requires users to have an active Snapchat account, which they then connect to Sendit. It’s important that trusted adults realise, therefore, that any risks associated with Snapchat also affect children using Sendit. Within the app, people play question games like ‘Truth or Dare’ and ‘Never Have I Ever’: users select a question to share on their Snapchat story for their friends to reply to. All responses are anonymous, although – for paying subscribers – Sendit reveals hints about who sent which messages.
HiPal (12+)
HiPal is a trending social media app which turns phones into walkie-talkies, allowing people to have voice conversations with friends or strangers. There are two account options: one for users aged under 12 and one for those aged 12 or above. The former has fewer features and limits interaction with strangers, enabling use of the walkie-talkie feature or photo sharing with friends and family only. The 12+ accounts offer more options, including adding strangers as friends, sharing photos and videos publicly, sending private messages and holding voice chats with strangers as well as friends.
Wizz (16+)
Wizz is an app in the Social Networking Category. It allows users to find/meet new friends by scrolling through a live feed of other users. Once someone peaks your interest in the live feed you can begin messaging back and forth through Wizz. Alternatively, and most commonly, users share their snap or instagram accounts and ask users to add them.
According to the App Store:
Wizz is the most fun and spontaneous way to meet new friends…Wizz is for positive vibes only! If you post inappropriate content, you’ll be automatically banned.
Once you’ve downloaded the Wizz app from the App Store (currently not available on Google Play), you can create an account with either (1) Snapchat account (2) Apple ID or (3) phone number. You are only asked to create a psuedonym for yourself, state your age and declare a gender.