Online Safety Tip of the Week
This week’s theme is Cross-platform sharing of inappropriate content Creepy characters like Slender Man or Huggy Wuggy.
Dangerous online challenges. Songs or videos that aren’t suitable for young people. When things like these begin trending online, it can be difficult to prevent children accidently stumbling across them – especially if they use a range of platforms, like online games, social media, streaming sites or messaging apps. A trend can originate in one online space and rapidly spread to other platforms or via chat apps.
The frightening Huggy Wuggy character, for instance, first emerged as part of a game on Steam; now there are parody songs on TikTok, videos on YouTube and more than 45,000 results for #huggywuggy on Instagram. In the guide at the back of the newsletter, you’ll find tips on several potential risks such as accidental exposure, inappropriate language and unsuitable videos.
