Staying safe online
Being online can be fun and social. Here's what you need to know to be safer online.
Nothing online is truly private. People can screenshot and distribute online content, without you knowing. Scams, online conflict, and online relationships can create problems. Find out more about online safety on the eSafety Commission website.
Protect your data
Steps you can take to support the safety and security of your data include:
- Use strong passwords and a password manager
- Don't share your Macquarie login and password details with anyone. Sharing your Macquarie login details is not only a breach of our terms and conditions that could be classified as misconduct, but it also gives people access to your personal details.
- Use antivirus software
- Keep your devices up to date
- Immediately reset your password if you have clicked on a link in a suspicious email
Online behaviour
Your digital reputation is important, that's why you should know how to protect it.
Before you say or do something online, consider whether the following questions:
- Would you want a future employer or social contact to see that post?
- How would you feel if it was sent to lots of people?
Staying safe online also means behaving appropriately online. You can find out more about appropriate online behaviour at Macquarie on the online behaviour page.
Managing your social media feed
Sometimes the content on our social media team can get a bit much. There are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to content that is not supporting your general wellbeing.
Social media platforms suggest content based on factors such as who you follow, what you watch and what you engage with. Each platform has their own tools to help control these.
On Instagram, you can:
- Report you are not interested in certain content or content with certain words.
- Visit ‘Your algorithm’ page and select what you want to see more or less of.
- Snooze ‘suggested content’ in your feed for 30 days so you are only shown content from people or pages you follow.
- Reset ‘suggested content’ to refresh the content you are shown which is kind of like resetting your algorithm.
On TikTok, you can:
- Reduce unwanted content in your feed by selecting the arrow in the bottom-right corner of a post and choosing ‘Not interested’.
- Control how much content you see related to keywords you specify.
- Choose to see more or less content about specific topics by managing topics in your preferences.
- Refresh your feed as if you’ve just signed up for TikTok, similar to resetting your algorithm.
While social media is a great way to connect with information, share your experience and engage with community, it can feel addictive and have negative impacts on your wellbeing at times. One of the best steps you can take is spending time away from social media each day to connect with your family, friends or hobbies. If you need some help finding healthy habits that will work for you complete the Big 5 Quizz then sign up for the Big 5 Wellbeing Messages to help you stick to those habits.
Submit a report to the University
If you’ve got a concern about something that you have experienced online, you can let the University know. Staff from the Student Wellbeing service will contact you, to discuss what is happening, how it is affecting you, and help you identify how to respond.