Take time to think about your "Netiquette" or "Cybermanners"

Call it Cybermanners, Netiquette or good ol’ fashioned common sense – How many times have you read a post or tweet and cringed thinking “wow – I wouldn’t have put that in writing!” 

There has been a lot of coverage in the media lately about thoughtless and inappropriate posts on Twitter and Tribute pages on Social networking sites, which is putting a spotlight on the issue of Cybermanners.

What ever happened to the old adage of “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”, I’m sure that goes for a tweet, text or social networking post too.

While I think it’s great we live in a world where we have freedom of speech, I also wonder if we haven’t forgotten to have a basic level of respect for each other.  If we all just took a deep breath sometimes before we hit enter, or paused for a moment and thought about how what we’re about to send is going to impact the other person, then maybe we might hit delete instead?

I think it’s great that my kids (and Cybermum) are growing up in this Digital world, where they have such wealth of information and experiences at their fingertips.  We all have a new found “connectedness” that we’re all learning to manage.  However, the anonymity of the Cyber world can sometimes mean we forget that there’s a breathing, living human being on the other end, and that really the monitor and keyboard are just the conduit…. But a conduit to a much broader audience, that once you’ve hit “the” button you have no control over who sees what you’ve written. 

I believe it’s our job as Parents to teach our kids what’s appropriate behaviour whether they’re at school, at a friends house, at their Grandparents house or at the movies, and the same goes for when their online.  So, I thought I’d share with you some of the things I talk to my kids about:

• If it’s not something you would say to someone in person, then why would it be OK to post it in Cyber space or text?
• Think about how you would feel if someone wrote that about you?
• Is what you’re writing something you would like me to read?
• Are you giving out TMI (Too much information) about yourself? (like your home address, phone number, where you are?)
• Really think about what you writing and before you hit “send” re-read, as once you’ve hit that button you can’t take it back.
• Is what you’re sending inappropriate language?

Today sounds like a good day to talk with your children about their Cybermanners, and share this with other parents and your kids friends.  It’s also a good day to think about your own Netiquette.   It doesn’t really matter what label you give it, just as long as we apply it – and more importantly that we teach our kids what’s appropriate manners in both our day to day life as well as our “online lives”.

Email me at cybermummcafeecom  (cybermummcafeecom)  

Play nice and stay safe

Moira