Kindness Online

Behind every username is a real person with real feelings. Kindness online means treating those people the way you'd want to be treated — and knowing what to do when someone forgets to be kind to you.

The golden rule, online. A good test before you send anything: would I say this to their face? If not, don't type it. Words on a screen can feel far away, but they land just as hard as words out loud.

When someone is mean to you. It doesn't feel good, and it's not your fault. You have calm, strong moves — you don't have to fight back or figure it out alone:

• 🛑 Don't reply. Meanness wants a reaction. You don't have to give one.
• 🚫 Block. Stop them from messaging or seeing you.
• 📢 Report. Tell the app and a trusted grown-up.
• 💚 Talk about it. Share how it felt with someone you trust.

Being mean back doesn't win. It might feel fair in the moment, but it usually makes things bigger and can get you in trouble too. The strong move is to step away and tell a grown-up. That's not tattling — that's taking care of yourself.

Help others, too. If you see someone being treated badly, you're a bystander — and you can choose to help. Don't join in. Be kind to the person, and tell a grown-up. One kind message can change someone's whole day.

Green, yellow, red.

• 🟢 Green: friendly chat — "gg!", "nice one!", "want to team up?"
• 🟡 Yellow: teasing that's starting to sting — pause and check the feeling.
• 🔴 Red: mean, scary, or cruel messages — block, report, and tell a grown-up.

Practice it. Try the Mission The Mean Message and practice the calm, strong choice.

Remember: be kind, stay strong, and never handle meanness alone. Block, report, and tell someone. Be curious, not careless!