Some things should stay private — Media, 4–6 years
A photo, name or place can tell others about you, so private details need care before sharing.
Private details
Private information is a detail about you or your family that not everyone needs to know. It can include your full name, home address, school, telephone number, passwords or where you are right now. A media message can show these details even when you did not mean to tell them.
Why we check first
Once a detail is shown in a photo, video or message, more people may see it than you expected. Adults teach children to check because protecting a private detail is easier before sharing than after. The problem is not that every media message is bad; it is that some details belong only with trusted people.
Example: a photo of a drawing
You draw a picture and want to send it to Grandma. Before taking the photo, check its edges and the table: does it show your full name, an address or a school badge? If it does, cover that part or ask an adult for help. Then send the drawing, not those extra private details.
A common mix-up
A child may think a detail is safe because it is only in the background or because the message goes to one person. That is reasonable: the detail may feel too small to matter. But a camera records background details too, and messages can sometimes be shown or sent on, so checking first is wise.
Where this helps
This matters when you take a photo, record a video, draw a name tag or speak into a device. Before sharing, show it to a trusted adult and ask, “Does this show something private?” You can still share your work and ideas while leaving out details that do not need to travel with them.
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