Sharing your story

On screen, the text reads: Sharing your story online. Narration: Here are some things to think about when deciding whether – and where – to publish something that you’ve made online.

A person is seen clutching a phone close to their chest, with the screen facing inward, emphasizing privacy. Narration: You may not want to share what you’ve made at all! It could be that just making it is all you need.

A person is showing a tablet or a phone to two other people, who are leaning in and looking at the screen. Narration: Or you could keep it on your device, and only show it to people you care about.

Narration: If you do want to publish, here are some things you should think about.

On screen, the word Content is displayed. We see an image of a person’s face on a phone screen. Behind them, a street sign is visible; after a moment, a circle appears around the street sign, highlighting it. Narration: How might what’s in it affect your privacy? Are there things like your face or your voice that would let people recognize you?.

A person makes a funny face, sticking out their tongue, at someone who is offscreen. Narration: If there are, how do you think you’ll feel about people seeing what you’ve made – now and in the future?.

The view zooms out to include the other person, who is also making a funny face back. Narration: Who else is identifiable in your story? How do you think they might feel about it?.

On screen, the word Platform is displayed. The image from the previous scene, with both people making funny faces, is now shown as a post on a mock social network or video site, such as one resembling YouTube or TikTok. Narration: Once you’re comfortable with some people seeing what you made, you need to decide where to publish it.

The gear icon for the settings menu is highlighted and zoomed in on. A pull-down menu appears from it.

The Earth is seen from space. The view then blurs and zooms in to reveal a half-dozen people’s faces, eventually focusing on just one of the faces. Narration: Can you control who sees what you publish? Can you make it so that just some people see it?.

The mock social network post is shown again. The share and download icons located below the post are highlighted. Narration: How shareable will it be? There’s always some way to make a copy of anything online, but some platforms make it easier or harder to do.

The account name, Louise Roy, is highlighted on the post. Narration: Is your account tied to your real name or something else that identifies you?.

The comment section below the post is highlighted. A gear icon appears in the top right corner of the screen, and the comment section then grays out. Narration: Can people comment on what you publish? Can you turn that off if you want to?.

A thumbnail of the social network post appears in a mockup of the YouTube “Up Next” bar. Narration: Could someone find what you’ve made in a search, or have it recommended to them by the platform’s algorithm?.

A phone’s home screen is displayed, showing several different fake social network app icons. Narration: Finally, every platform has its own audience and culture: re-sharing or commenting may be considered normal on some but rude on others.

Narration: Whatever your story is, it’s up to you whether – and how – to share it with the world.