Parents & Educators: Do You Follow Proper Netiquette Rules?

It seems like everyday, I witness a conversation online between two people that makes me cringe. Sometimes it involves family and sometimes you can tell there is an “elephant” on the page. DID YOU KNOW THAT WRITING IN ALL CAPS MEANS YOU ARE YELLING!?Most of us adult social-networking users have never really had a course on “netiquette” or formally learned how we should be behaving online. I mean, would you act that way if the person were right there in front of you instead of hiding behind a computer screen? One thing’s for sure, face to face communication with eye contact, tone and empathy will never be a better alternative to typing an email or leaving a comment on someone’s page.

As adults, educators, parents, grandparents, WE are responsible for setting a good example for children and for students while we are online communicating. The future of social media is now, and it is simply not going away. Whether it is Facebook, AIM, Twitter, Google+, cell phone texting or any other social networking device or site, we need to stay highly educated on the do’s and dont’s, and frequently share that knowledge with children of all ages.

For teachers and parents in a home-school partnership, netiquette is nothing short of vital. A simple netiquette blunder could lead to hard feelings, a lack of communication or misinformation, trust issues and a high anxiety level for all parties involved. In the end, one person suffers- the child or student involved. Please pass this along to those around you. Our children deserve to not only have great role models physically, but also while we are online.

Below is a video found on youtube.com which, in under 3 minutes, delivers some tips to help us groom our “netiquette.” A Google Doc version has been provided here.

Curiosity Fix: Check out how young Korean students are learning about Netiquette below.