LESSON

Navigating Online Friendships

How can we keep online friendships safe?

Nearly half of today's preteens have reported friendships with people they've only met online—digital relationships have become a normal part of growing up. This lesson explores the delicate balance between enjoying these meaningful online connections and maintaining safety and personal boundaries. Help students develop practical strategies to recognize pressure tactics, respond confidently to inappropriate requests, and cultivate safe, positive relationships in their increasingly digital social lives.

Objectives

Identify warning signs ("red flags") in online conversations
Understand why it's important to avoid sharing personally identifiable information (PII) when talking online
Practice setting healthy boundaries with online friends

Vocabulary

Red Flag Feelings · Personally Identifiable Information (PII) · Boundaries

Red Flag Feelings – when something happens that makes you feel uncomfortable, worried, sad, or anxious

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) – any information that can be used to identify someone, like full names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, or even photos

Boundaries – the personal limits we set to protect our privacy, comfort, and well-being by clearly communicating what we're OK with and what we're not