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Image from: mrspal blog |
The name calling game has stepped up to the next level in schools. In the old days, two people in an argument talked to the principal about what they said to each other in face-to-face conversation. Nowadays, they talk to the principal about what they said about each other online.
Welcome to the world of online posting where the entire world knows what you said in the click of a mouse. Despite all the information about online etiquette, it would appear that students and teachers are still learning about what to post. So I’ve decided to come up with my own five rules for online postings.
Rule 1: Anything that gets posted online is public NO MATTER WHAT THE PRIVACY SETTING. With all the information online, it is easy to assume no one will be looking for what you post or that you can hide it through privacy settings. The truth is, sometimes things can come out through either looking up the information or word of mouth. Check out this video below to see the story of one high school student whose private my space page became known to school officials.
Rule 2: What you say can and will be taken seriously. It might sound obvious, but sometimes people say things without thinking and it sticks. Just ask Alejandra Sosa. MyFox news reported on March 2 12-year old Sosa called her teacher a pedophile because:
Moral of this story is: be extremely careful about what you say.I was mad that day because of what he [did]. So, I mean I had no intentions of ruining his reputation.
Rule 3: Do not use online posts as a way of venting. Ranting to people you don’t know is uncomfortable and dangerous sometimes, so why do this online where everyone can read it? Teacher Natalie Munroe discovered this after she posted an online blog calling her high school students lazy, disrespectful and just generally annoying. CBS reported in February Munroe was using her blog to share information with her family and friends and got suspended from her job. At least she was smart and took her blog down.
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| Natalie Munroe and some of the things she allegedly said. Image from: CBS |
Rule 4: Do not use online posts to harass others. Thanks to Phoebe Prince, cyberbullying has come into the public light and many schools are making an effort to crack down on it. Think carefully before deciding to go this route. Oh, did I mention in some cases police have been getting involved? See this story from the April 1 Eagle Tribune in North Andover, MA for more information.
Rule 5: Follow the Golden Rule. I think this rule covers etiquette rule 101.
Many school districts are still trying to learn how to deal with new technology. Please do everyone a favor and leave bad facebook posting, name calling and harassment off the computer where it belongs.
I love the video and first off, it’s not her private life… it’s on the internet. I think that your point is clear and that your sources and multimedia back up what you are trying to convey. I love the way you write and your topics are very interesting. You provide nice block quotes and link to your sources. If you continue writing about only one topic per post you will be able to get your point across.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don’t know why people have such a difficult time with netiquette, especially people in the public realm like the high school teacher. And a school has the right to take action against a student that is involved with an extracurricular activity because that student represents the school. That’s why it’s possible for athletes to get thrown off teams when their private behavior contradicts the school or team behavior policy. So, your moral of the story is good: Golden Rule! Keep up the great writing!
Your blogs are very informational and well written. There could be more multi-media used throughout all the blogs. Some graphics splattered in there could really break up the blog and be more aesthetically pleasing. They have seemed to get better the more you post. Your opinions are clear in some areas but in this particular blog I’d maybe have explained the video you used and discuss if you agree with the school for punishing the girl for information on her private MySpace account. Were there school guidelines in place regarding the punishment for suggestive pictures or language posted online?
ReplyDeleteThe cyberbullying issue scares me a bit with having kids of my own. Is there any research out there on the kids/people who actually do the bullying? Might be a good blog idea if you can find any research. There have been so many when it comes to violence and video games. Many cyberbullies are female and not likely to have been playing video games.
Great topic. I really enjoy reading your blogs. Your use of multimedia is good. A few more pictures might be nice. The video of the myspace girl was interesting because, as Elizabeth said already, it is not personal. Nothing on the internet is personal. The article that was listed as Eagle Tribune could have been stated with the name of the town. I was wondering since I know of 4 towns that have a Eagle Tribune. Your opinion and rules are nicely put overall.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work!