What is Telegram? 

Telegram is a messenger app that protects your privacy. It works very similar to other messenger apps, such as WhatsApp or Facebook messenger, allowing you to send personal messages to your friends and create group chats. What does app does differently, is that it protects your conversations and your personal information. 

Why would you use Telegram?

Privacy and cryptography

Lots of people use Telegram, because they want their conversations and personal data to remain private. Other apps collect information on you, such as your name and age, but also where you are and what other things you like on the web. Some even know what you are talking about to your friends, so they can use that info for more personal advertising. At the same time, Telegram takes care that no other parties can take a look at what you are saying, not even Google or the government.

How does Telegram do that? They encrypt all your personal data and the conversations you have. You can compare it to a spy movie, where secret agents use a coding system to make messages unreadable to the outside world. No one can now read that message, without using the secret decryption key. This is called Cryptography and that has been around since forever. In history, almost every civilisation has used cypher wheels to protect secrets. 

Did you know that the first computers were invented by Alan Turing, in order to crack the code created by the Germans in World War II? They used a device called Enigma, generating secret messages and codes that were impossible to decipher. Alan Turing and his team spent months researching and creating a machine that eventually did the trick. The allied forces could finally read the secret codes and the first computer was born. 

Emojis, Stickers, GIFS and just plain fun

Just like in most other messaging apps, you can find lots of visual elements in Telegram to make your conversations more fun. You can use traditional emojis to show your emotions with a written message (such as       ), but also stickers and even moving pictures called GIFS. That way, talking to your friends becomes a lot more lively and funny.

Group messages

Telegram takes group messages to a new height. You can send your message to a group of up to 5000 people. I bet you don't even have that many friends, but it's good to know you have the possibility. That way, you can for example tell the whole school community about the upcoming music festival you are organising with your peers. 

How to use Telegram

You can install Telegram on any device: Android smartphones and tablets, iPhones or iPads, Windows Phones and even your computer or laptop. Download the app from the Play or App Store, just like you would with any other app. You can install Telegram on your computer or laptop by surfing to https://telegram.org. 

There is no age restriction on Telegram, but we do suggest that you ask your parents for permission before creating an account. 

Creating an account

When you start the Telegram app, you have to fill in your phone number. The app will send you a message with a code or call you. You do not need to answer this call, as it will automatically register within the app. Telegram will not ask you for your email address. 

In the next step, you have to fill in your name, to be recognisable. Your first name is required, but you can choose a fake screen name if you like. Last names are optional and we suggest you never fill in your last name. That information is private. 

Next, Telegram will ask for permission to access the Contacts on your phone. That way, they can see who else in your contact list uses the app for private messaging. 

Adding friends

You can add friends to your Telegram app in three ways. First of all, the app will check if your contacts also use it. That way, they will be added automatically. 

The second way is by inviting them. In the menu, click on Invite Friends. That way, you can invite them to download Telegram through email or other apps. 

You can also set up a public username in the Settings. That way, you can give a telegram.me link to your friends. It's really easy to do. Just fill in your username in the following URL:  http://telegram.me/yourusername

Sending Messages

To send a message to a friend or a group of friends, all you have to do is click on the pencil sign at the bottom right of the screen. Choose who of your contacts you want to talk to, to create a normal chat. If you want, you can create a new Secret Chat, to increase security. That way, not even the people running the Telegram app can read your conversation. 

Once you have decided who you want to talk to, you can start chatting. Click on the smiley face in the bottom to add emojis or stickers. You can add all other types of files (such as images, pdfs, ... ) by clicking on the paper clip. The microphone icon will allow you to record a spoken message for you friend, a bit like walkie talkies. 

Groups and Channels

If you want to talk to several people at once, you can create either a group or a channel. There is a difference. In a group, you will have a chat with several friends at once, just like you're used to with other messaging apps. They can respond and pick in on the conversation whenever they like. If you want to broadcast your messages to a large audience, you can choose to create a channel. Others can follow this, to stay up to date with what you have to say. 

What to look out for when using Telegram?

You are in charge of your privacy and safety

Just because an app says they're protecting you, doesn't mean it's true. You are still responsible to protect your own privacy and stay safe online. Here are some tips: 

• Never use your full real name on your profile. 
• Choose an avatar instead of a recognisable profile picture. Strangers don't need to be able to recognise you. 
• Don't accept friend requests from strangers. 
• Don't tell your age, gender or where you live to someone. Not even where you go to school or play sports. 

Bots are not human

On Telegram, there are also Bots. These are computer programs you can interact with and talk to. But they are not real. Some of them provide fun games or interesting information (like the news). If you don't want to be contacted by a Bot anymore, just press 'stop bot' on the bottom. 

Not everyone has good intentions

If someone -in a personal conversation or in a group- is being mean or asking you for personal information, you should ignore them. Talk to an adult, such as your parents or a teacher, about what happened. If someone keeps on harassing you, you can block them. 

Click on the person's name and then the three dots at the top of the screen to bring out the popup menu. Press Block to make sure that person can't contact you anymore.

In the classroom

The Telegram app is a great conversation starter to discuss privacy with your pupils. A lot of them will use messaging apps in their lives, with a varying degree of safety and privacy protection. Discuss why they use them and what happens to their personal data. For example WhatsApp has been bought by Facebook and now uses private info to generate more personal advertising. 

An often heard argument on Privacy is that 'we don't have anything to hide, so we don't need to protect ourselves'. However, everyone has a need for privacy. Just because you don't haven't done anything wrong, doesn't mean you have nothing to hide. Privacy is not a right for criminals or wrongdoers. We all wear clothes to hide our bodies and we don't tell our neighbours how much money is in the bank. When we want to have a private conversation, away from prying ears, we move to another room. On the internet, our personal info is constantly being collected, both by commercial companies as for governmental purposes. How can we protect ourselves from this and to what extent should we? 

There is not one right answer in this discussion and everyone will have a different view on their privacy. But it is very important to raise awareness about the topic, even in young children.