Internet Etiquette for Teenagers and Children: How to Teach Your Kids About Proper Web Communication
Are your teenagers or children just starting out on the internet? Have they just "graduated" to using social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter? Did they just get their first cell phone? If so, they (and you) can use a crash course in Internet and Digital Media Etiquette.
This article will explore the most important questions to ask when communicating digitally.
Two minutes is all it takes to ask these three questions: 1) Is it true? 2) Is it nice? 3) Does it matter? 1) Is it true? Before sending a text, transmitting an email or posting something on Facebook or Twitter, users need to be sure that an event actually happened, a photo is actually real and not Photoshopped, or a "news article" forwarded to them is actually valid.
Children and teens are often under the illusion that if they see it in print, it's true.
Kids who wouldn't normally think of making up a story to post on the internet will often happily forward unverified information from a friend or website.
Kids shouldn't be afraid to question their sources, or, if they are unable or unwilling to do so, they should just leave the information alone.
2) Is it nice? A friend once forwarded photo of a businesswoman walking down a crowded New York street with her skirt tucked into the back of her pantyhose.
I was in California and I can only imagine the number of stops that email made on its way to me.
The photo looked real so it was likely "true" but it was definitely not "nice" to play a part in this poor woman's humiliation.
Children and teens need to be reminded to ask themselves how they would feel if one of their most embarrassing moments was put on display for all the world to see.
The broad reach of the internet puts distance between kids and the people they encounter there.
Parents need to bring the idea of personal accountability back home.
And finally, 3) Does it Matter? Go on Facebook or Twitter at any time and you'll see posts from adults and children alike with such groundbreaking statements as, "Enjoying a nice cup of tea" or "On my way to school with Susan".
True? Yes.
Nice? I suppose.
But necessary? Probably not.
This is becoming perhaps the trickiest area of digital etiquette to manage.
Facebook, Twitter and texting offer an instant platform for one's thoughts and feelings.
Kids need to ask themselves, "How do I want the world to see me?" This becomes increasingly more important as they apply to college and later for jobs.
Do you think admissions offices and HR departments check people out on social media websites? You'd better believe it! Good communication, face-to-face or digitally, is learned first at home.
Take the time to talk with your children and teens about these questions and give them the guidance they need.
This article will explore the most important questions to ask when communicating digitally.
Two minutes is all it takes to ask these three questions: 1) Is it true? 2) Is it nice? 3) Does it matter? 1) Is it true? Before sending a text, transmitting an email or posting something on Facebook or Twitter, users need to be sure that an event actually happened, a photo is actually real and not Photoshopped, or a "news article" forwarded to them is actually valid.
Children and teens are often under the illusion that if they see it in print, it's true.
Kids who wouldn't normally think of making up a story to post on the internet will often happily forward unverified information from a friend or website.
Kids shouldn't be afraid to question their sources, or, if they are unable or unwilling to do so, they should just leave the information alone.
2) Is it nice? A friend once forwarded photo of a businesswoman walking down a crowded New York street with her skirt tucked into the back of her pantyhose.
I was in California and I can only imagine the number of stops that email made on its way to me.
The photo looked real so it was likely "true" but it was definitely not "nice" to play a part in this poor woman's humiliation.
Children and teens need to be reminded to ask themselves how they would feel if one of their most embarrassing moments was put on display for all the world to see.
The broad reach of the internet puts distance between kids and the people they encounter there.
Parents need to bring the idea of personal accountability back home.
And finally, 3) Does it Matter? Go on Facebook or Twitter at any time and you'll see posts from adults and children alike with such groundbreaking statements as, "Enjoying a nice cup of tea" or "On my way to school with Susan".
True? Yes.
Nice? I suppose.
But necessary? Probably not.
This is becoming perhaps the trickiest area of digital etiquette to manage.
Facebook, Twitter and texting offer an instant platform for one's thoughts and feelings.
Kids need to ask themselves, "How do I want the world to see me?" This becomes increasingly more important as they apply to college and later for jobs.
Do you think admissions offices and HR departments check people out on social media websites? You'd better believe it! Good communication, face-to-face or digitally, is learned first at home.
Take the time to talk with your children and teens about these questions and give them the guidance they need.
