YouTube Celebrates Internet Safety Month

June marks the third annual Internet Safety Month and YouTube is celebrating by spotlighting videos about how to stay safe on the web. Internet safety has never been more important, as with each passing day more and more people are logging online to share videos, pictures and private information. YouTube wants to educate families about how to stay safe, to ensure “the best possible experience on YouTube and across the Web.”

YouTube is spotlighting Internet safety-related videos on their SafetyCenterVideos channel. Videos cover everything from how to avoid phishing scams to what parents can do to guard their children’s security online and even a cute music video featuring dogs singing about Internet safety and poodle porn. YouTube is also sharing links to helpful safety features on their site including Flagging, Safety Mode, Unlisted Videos and their Help & Safety Tool.

Most of our readers are pretty tech and Internet-savvy individuals who know not to fall for phishing scams, share private information or post incriminating pictures and videos of themselves on the Web. However, a shockingly large percentage of Internet surfers are not aware of basic safety principles when using the Web and social media sites.

When using social video sites like YouTube and other social networks, including Facebook and Twitter, it is very important to take safety measures. Be sure to keep your private information to yourself and remember that if you upload a video, post a picture or a status update the whole world can see it if you don’t pay attention to your privacy settings. The Internet is a big place, so you should always be wary of your privacy so none of your posts or actions come back to haunt you.

YouTube is using Internet Safety Month as a platform to educate its users about the fundamentals of online safety in order to create a much more welcoming and safe environment. They say, “The more our community treats each other with respect, keeps personal information private, and reports inappropriate content, the better the YouTube community experience as a whole will be. Please do your part!”

What do you think about YouTube’s initiative to spread the word about online security for Internet Safety Month? Do you think the campaign will reach the Internet users that need it most?

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.