Transcripts: Enjoy Life Forever!

Transcript: Be Social-Network Smart. Whiteboard Animation
[On a dry erase board with a black marker, artwork of various sketches is drawn to create an animated story. Be Social-Network Smart]
Presenter: What can you do on a social network?
[Girl on laptop]
You can connect with people,
(a lot of people)
[Faces in bubbles, all connected]
share your photos,
[Man takes photos of food]
tell jokes,
[People laugh]
post your thoughts on, well, just about anything,
[Girl listens to music, boy plays guitar]
And see what all your friends are up to. It’s pretty easy, and that’s the problem.
[Cat presses button]
Sometimes it’s a little too easy.
[Photo shared]
You see, a social network may look harmless, but once you log in,
[Dog growls]
watch out! It could be a dangerous place
[Girl runs carrying cat, dog chases]
So, if your parents allow you to have an account, you have to be smart,
[Girl sees her picture]
social-network smart.
[On TV]
Follow the front-page rule. Don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want to see on the TV news or the front page of the newspaper.
[Identity card]
And that includes personal information like your phone number, where you live, and where you go to school. Never tell people when you’re not home or when you’re going on vacation. It may seem harmless, but that’s exactly the kind of information thieves can use to break into your house or even steal your identity!
[Thief replaces ID photo]
Now let’s look at your reputation. Your photos and comments say a lot about you. So, if you’ve made a fool of yourself, ask, ‘Is this how I really want people to view me, not just now but in the future, like at a job interview?’ At Proverbs 22:1, the Bible says a good reputation is ‘worth more than silver and gold.’ Don’t let that Delete key fool you. Posting something on any social network is kind of like writing in permanent ink.
[Hits delete key, but photos remain]
OK, so you’re careful about what you share. Now think about who you’re sharing it with. Who are your friends? Some people have hundreds of online friends. Some have thousands. So, you may think, ‘The more friends, the better, right?’ Actually, no! That kind of thinking can blow up in your face.
[Balloons pop man falls]
You see, when you connect with online friends, you are also indirectly connecting with their friends and their friends’ friends.
[A big group]
That means you may find yourself seeing posts from people you don’t even know, people whose morals and beliefs may be different from yours. They may use bad language or post about things you know are wrong. Those just aren’t the kind of friends you want to hang around with, not even online. And there’s another danger. At Psalm 26:4, the Bible warns about people “who hide what they are.” They pretend to be someone they are not and may seem super friendly,
[Girl messages another girl]
but they can be dangerous.
[Shocked it was a man]
So, when it comes to friends, you need to be picky.
[Conveyer belt with lever]
The safest friends online are ones you already know offline.
[Man drops]
There’s one more thing to think about: It has to do with your time. Checking out the latest posts can be addictive. So, let’s set some limits, and don’t let your online life get in the way of your real life.
[Boy sleeps on laptop]
You know, connecting with others online can be fun and safe as long as you look out for all the dangers.
[Boat tips over waterfall]
So, the next time you log in, be smart, social-network smart.
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2014 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania)