Staying Safe Online

The internet can be both a supportive but also potentially harmful place to be, especially if you are feeling vulnerable. Today is Safer Internet Day, so it’s timely to remind you of some of the ways we at TalkLife work to keep you safe online but also to get you thinking about how you can protect yourself and giving some thought to what you are sharing and with whom.

TalkLife is a free global peer support community for people to share how they’re feeling, to seek support and to be there for others through the ups and downs of life. TalkLife is a place where you can instantly see you’re not alone and meet likeminded people who are battling just like you. You’ll also see our trained peer supporters on hand on the platform for a chat or some words of support.

In order to make sure TalkLife is a place that people feel able to and safe to share there are a few guidelines that we ask everyone who uses the platform to sign up to. Some of these might be slightly different to other platforms that you use but because we are a community designed to support you when you’re struggling it’s extra important that we make sure everyone is looking out for each other.

Here are some of the content areas that we moderate and remove on TalkLife and an explanation about why we do this. We will also always give you private feedback on why your post was removed, additional resources if you’re struggling and the option to speak directly with a member of our safety team if you have questions.

1. Graphic content around self-harm and suicide. We take down content that talks about methods or goes into detail around self-harm and suicide. It’s absolutely fine to share about your struggles but we need to make sure this is done in a safe way and to think of the impact it could have on the rest of the community. Equally if you’re promoting self-harm, eating disorders or suicide your content will be taken down. This goes for images too, we instantly remove any content that could be triggering for others in the community.
2. Abusive and aggressive content. Be kind. That doesn’t mean you always have to agree with people and debating is fine, but abuse or bullying isn’t. Take a breath before you respond to someone. Equally racist, homophobic, transphobic and sexist posts will be removed. Sometimes it’s very easy to forget the human beings behind the screen. Everyone on TalkLife is here for a reason. Everyone is going through their own struggles and experiences. Try and put yourself in other people’s shoes before you respond and if you don’t have anything supportive to say you don’t have to say anything.
3. Requests for dating. It’s great when people form friendships and relationships online but TalkLife isn’t a dating platform so blatant requests for dating or sex will be removed. Equally, it’s ok to talk about sex, it’s an important part of life! But again, there’s no need for graphic description; there are other places for that.
4. TalkLife is a place for support! We have the random feed that is for random stuff, if you want to post something that’s not entirely related to TalkLife post it here, it’s the perfect place to break your 10k comment records, one liners and for things off topic!
5. If you’re using TalkLife for the wrong reasons then you will be removed from the platform. We do not tolerate any predatorial behaviour and we will instantly ban you and escalate where appropriapte. TalkLife works closely with law enforcement agencies and the safety of our users is paramount.

If you’re using TalkLife then you’re agreeing to stick to these guidelines. If you don’t you will find your posts removed or that you’re issued with a ban. You can read more on our guidelines here.

TalkLife moderation has lots of different levels including automated moderation, our incredible volunteer moderators and our professional admin team who are on the platform 24/7 keeping it safe. Our moderation is quick, consistent and every removal is quality checked. If your post is removed stop for a second and think about why. Are you promoting self-harm? Are you being offensive? Is what you’re writing appropriate for a support app? Chances are there’s a good reason that it’s been taken down.

You can play your part in keeping the community safe too. If you see any content you don’t think is appropriate for TalkLife you can flag it. You can also block any user that you don’t want to see anymore. You can also set trigger warnings to stop you seeing content from certain categories on TalkLife and you can launch your own trigger warnings on your posts-however they still need to fall within the guidelines.

Think we’ve made a mistake? Confused about why something was taken down? Have a question? Get in touch and we’re happy to talk about it. Support@talklife.co.

It’s also important to know that sometimes peer support might not be the best option for you. If you are in crisis and feel that you’re at active risk of harming yourself or someone else it’s really important that you reach out for the appropriate support. We have lots of resources here that you can reach out to here.

TalkLife is your community, it’s your place to share and to be you without fear of judgement. A platform where you can talk about what’s really going on for you, the good and the not so good. Community guidelines and moderation are an important factor in this.

For More information visit — TalkLife.co

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You can find out more information about Safer Internet Day Here.