CyberShield Junior • Module 6 • Lesson 6.3
Strangers, Followers, and Friend Requests
Online connection requests can feel normal, friendly, or exciting, but students should think carefully before accepting, replying, following back, or sharing information. This lesson teaches students how to handle unknown accounts and messages safely.
Real-Life Hook
Not every friendly request comes from a trusted person.
Imagine a student gets a new follower, a friend request, or a private message from someone they do not know. The account looks normal and may even have mutual followers. Safer communication means pausing before trusting the account or sharing information.
What You Will Learn
Online connections should be checked before they are trusted.
Safety Rule
Do not trust unknown accounts just because they look friendly.
CyberShield Academy uses fake examples only. Students should not test strangers, message unknown accounts for practice, share real personal information, or try to investigate suspicious profiles by themselves. When unsure, they should ask a trusted adult.
Core Explanation
Safer online communication starts before accepting or replying.
Social apps, games, school tools, and chat platforms can make it easy for people to follow, message, or request connections. Some requests may come from real friends or classmates. Others may come from people the student does not know, fake accounts, or accounts that are hard to verify.
A student should not trust an account only because it has a profile picture, mutual followers, a friendly message, or a familiar-sounding username. Safer communication means asking questions first: Do I know this person in real life? Can I confirm who they are? Are they asking for private information or trying to move the conversation somewhere else?
Students do not need to handle uncomfortable messages alone. A safer response is to pause, avoid sharing private information, use privacy tools when needed, and ask a trusted adult if the request feels confusing, pushy, secretive, or unsafe.
Key Vocabulary
Important words for understanding online connection safety.
Online Stranger
Someone a student does not personally know in real life, even if the person seems friendly, has mutual followers, or uses a familiar profile picture.
Follower
Someone who can see updates, posts, or profile activity depending on the app and privacy settings.
Friend Request
A request from another account asking to connect, follow, message, or see more of a student’s online activity.
Mutual Connection
A person or account that appears to be connected to someone the student knows. This does not automatically mean the account is safe.
Private Message
A direct message sent inside an app, game, chat, or social platform that may not be visible to everyone else.
Trusted Adult
A parent, guardian, teacher, counselor, coach, or other safe adult who can help students handle confusing or unsafe online situations.
Connection Situation Breakdown
Requests, followers, and messages can create different kinds of decisions.
Unknown Friend Request
A student receives a request from an account they do not recognize, but the account looks friendly or has a popular profile picture.
Safer Choice
Pause before accepting. Check whether the student actually knows the person in real life and ask a trusted adult when unsure.
Mutual Followers
An account has mutual followers or says they know a friend, but the student has never met or talked to them before.
Safer Choice
Do not trust the account only because of mutuals. Confirm through real-life trusted people before connecting.
Private Message From a Stranger
A person the student does not know sends a private message asking questions, giving compliments, or trying to continue the conversation.
Safer Choice
Avoid sharing private information. Do not feel pressured to reply, and ask a trusted adult if the message feels strange or uncomfortable.
Request to Move Apps
Someone asks the student to move the conversation to a different app, game chat, or private space.
Safer Choice
Pause and get trusted adult help. Moving conversations can make it harder for students to get support or use safety tools.
Warning Signs
Safer communication means noticing red flags before trusting an account.
The Account Is Unknown
The student does not personally know the person behind the account in real life.
Too Friendly Too Fast
The person acts overly close, gives lots of compliments, or tries to build trust very quickly.
Private Information Questions
The person asks about school, location, schedule, family, passwords, personal details, or other private information.
Pressure to Reply
The person keeps messaging, makes the student feel guilty for not answering, or demands quick responses.
Move to Another App
The person asks to continue on a different app, private chat, game lobby, or account.
Secret Conversation
The person tells the student not to tell parents, teachers, friends, or other trusted adults.
Smarter Choice vs Risky Choice
Unknown accounts should not pressure students into quick trust.
Risky Choice
A student accepts an unknown request, replies to private questions, or moves the conversation to another app because the person seems friendly.
Smarter Choice
The student pauses, checks whether the person is known in real life, avoids sharing private information, and asks a trusted adult when the request feels unsafe.
Scenario Lab
Practice safer connection decisions using fake examples.
The Friendly Unknown Request
Situation
A student gets a friend request from an account with a normal profile picture. The account says, ‘I think we go to the same school.’
Warning Signs
The student does not actually recognize the person, and the account is asking to connect based on a vague claim.
Risky Response
Accept the request because the account looks normal and might know someone at school.
Smarter Response
Do not accept right away. Check with trusted real-life people or ask a trusted adult before connecting.
Why the Smarter Response Works
Profiles and claims can be misleading. Students should not treat an unknown account as safe just because it looks familiar.
The Mutual Follower Message
Situation
A student receives a message from someone with several mutual followers. The person asks what school the student goes to.
Warning Signs
Mutual followers do not prove trust, and the person is asking for private information.
Risky Response
Answer the question because mutual followers make the account seem safe.
Smarter Response
Avoid sharing private information and ask a trusted adult if the message feels suspicious or uncomfortable.
Why the Smarter Response Works
Mutual connections are not proof that someone is safe. School and location details should be protected.
The Move Apps Request
Situation
A person in a game chat asks a student to move the conversation to a private messaging app.
Warning Signs
The person wants to move the conversation away from the current platform and into a more private space.
Risky Response
Move to the new app because the person seems friendly in the game.
Smarter Response
Do not move the conversation. Stop replying if needed and ask a trusted adult for help.
Why the Smarter Response Works
Moving chats can make it harder to use safety tools or get help. Students should keep safety and trusted adults involved.
The Secret Message
Situation
Someone online tells a student, ‘Do not tell anyone we are talking because they will not understand.’
Warning Signs
The person is trying to make the conversation secret and separate the student from trusted help.
Risky Response
Keep the conversation secret because the person asked nicely.
Smarter Response
Do not keep it secret. Save the message if needed, stop replying, and show a trusted adult.
Why the Smarter Response Works
Safe people do not pressure students to hide online conversations from trusted adults.
Real-Life Action Steps
Use these habits before trusting a new online connection.
Reflection Questions
Think before moving on.
Skill Check
Choose first, then reveal the safer answer.
Question 1
A student gets a friend request from someone they do not recognize. What is the safer response?
Reveal safer response
Correct Answer: Choice B
Students should be careful with unknown requests. A normal-looking profile does not prove the person is safe or familiar.
Question 2
An unknown account has mutual followers and asks what school a student attends. What is the warning sign?
Reveal safer response
Correct Answer: Choice B
School information can reveal private details. Mutual followers do not automatically make an unknown account safe.
Question 3
Someone in a game chat asks a student to move to a private messaging app. What should the student do?
Reveal safer response
Correct Answer: Choice B
Moving conversations to private spaces can reduce safety and support. Students should not feel pressured to move chats.
Question 4
What is a safe habit for friend requests and followers?
Reveal safer response
Correct Answer: Choice B
Students should think carefully before connecting with people they do not know in real life.
Junior Checklist
Before finishing Lesson 6.3, students should be able to say:
Navigation
Lesson 6.3 complete.
Next, Lesson 6.4 will explain safer choices for sharing photos, screenshots, and posts.