Methods of communication have changed greatly in the last century. People are able to have constant communication, anytime and anywhere. They can work with others all over the world and collaborate with people they have never met in person. With this seemingly limitless ability to communicate also comes responsibilities.
Cyberbullying
"Over half (52 percent) off young people report being cyber bullied."
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"The most common types of cyber bullying tactics reported are mean, hurtful comments as well as the spreading of rumors."
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"Victims of cyber bullying are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem and to consider suicide as a result."
(NoBullying.com, 2014)
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Stop bullying.gov describes
cyberbullying as “bullying that takes place using electronic technology.
Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones,
computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media
sites, text messages, chat, and websites.”
Cyberbully threatens the physical and emotional safety of others. It can disrupt an individual’s education and cause them to feel scared, ashamed, alone and sad. It drives some teenagers to attempt suicide. Most commonly cyberbullying is the when hurtful messages are sent about another person. There are many forms of cyberbullying. Click here to see some of these examples. Stop Bullying.gov Schools have a responsibility to maintain a safe learning environment. They are required by law to develop anti-bullying policies. These policies do address cyberbullying as well. Delaware's law defines bullying in Delaware Code Ann. tit. 14§ 4112D. You can find the Delaware law to the right. How can cyberbullying be stopped?
What Bullying Looks Like in the Digital Age and How to Prevent It Thirteen Reasons You Should Step Up to Bullying |
(Stopbullying, 2012)
Delaware bullying law:
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digital etiquetteHow should people act online?
Why is this behavior any different than when they are face to face? In order to function efficiently and keep its community safe, digital citizens should follow guidelines of digital etiquette. Etiquette according to the Emily Post Foundation “means treating people with consideration, respect, and honesty. It means being aware of how our actions affect those around us.” (Post, 2015) Although there are no laws that force you to practice digital etiquette, there are laws that protect others from cyberbullies, sexting and other harmful online behaviors. Tips Teachers can Discuss with their Students for Practicing Digital Etiquette when Digitally Sending Someone a Message or Chat The 10 Commandments of email Netiquette USE your manners! |
keeping your information privateLearning how to remain safe in the digital world is an important skill to have. Keeping your personal information private and protecting yourself are a digital citizen's responsibility.
Pew Research Center says that 92% of teens post their real name to the profile they use most often.
Click here to see more statistics about cyber safety and teens. |
dangers of Sexting
What is sexting?
“Taking, sending, viewing and even possessing nude, semi-nude or other sexually explicit images, videos, or other digital content, also known as “sexting,” can get you into serious trouble both at school and with the law.” (ACLU, 2014) Messages, images, videos and other examples of sexting could be easily sent or shared to others. In fact, when teens were surveyed, dosomething.org found that 17% of sexters share the messages they receive with others, and 55% of those share them with more than one person. See more statistics at dosomething.org (Common, 2014)
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What are the consequences of sexting?
About one in five teens risk the penalty of life in prison for possession of child pornography, even if consented to." (Saladino, 2015) Consequences of sexting even if consensual (agreed upon) could be shame, loss of trust by parents and legal penalties. Many places consider sending or receiving nude pictures, even of yourself, to be child pornography. All of these things could negatively change the course of a person’s life. "15% of teens who have sent or posted nude/semi-nude images of themselves send these messages to people they have never met, but know from the Internet." (dosomething, 2014) |
Sexting can be unsafe and dangerous. Also, consider that nothing is ever really gone from technology. Evidence of sexting could reappear long after it was first done. Sexting is not worth losing the consequences, your freedom or your future.
Appoquinimink School District
Acceptable use agreement
An acceptable use agreement is the contract you signed before you used the technology at school. When you signed this you agreed to the conditions listed in the agreement. It is important that you understand what you agreed to and the consequences if you break this contract.
Click here to read the Appoquinimink School District, Educational Technology: Acceptable Use Agreement
The public service announcement below explains some of the major concerns with technology use.
Click here to read the Appoquinimink School District, Educational Technology: Acceptable Use Agreement
The public service announcement below explains some of the major concerns with technology use.
ASD public service announcement
what type of communication would be the most effective? |
Is GRAMMAR important? |
Digital Citizenship by Christine Serin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.