Digital Etiquette - Say (and Model) Something Nice

I believe that students are aware of others when they use technology, but they often prefer to overlook the potentially negative effects that use of various devices might have on others in order to continue using technology.    Part of that failure stems, as some of the readings indicate, from observing adults who fail to exhibit proper digital etiquette.  Looking back on the past week, I can think of several times when I failed to model appropriate digital etiquette. 

 

As Benbunan-Fich notes, people tend to disregard the impact that technology has on others as long as it doesn’t create physical risks (2012).  They don’t view annoyance as something negative – unless, as she notes, hypocritical behavior ensues and the offender becomes offended by the same behavior that s/he exhibits.   Creating specific guidelines for technology use is important in classrooms and educational settings; it is equally important to explain the purpose of the guidelines and to consistently enforce them.  If technology users can recognize that there are particular times and places where use is prohibited, they become more open to other guidelines and restrictions.   Any prohibitions against use need to be purposeful and reasonable. 

Students sometimes understand how technology use affects themselves and others.  Sexting and cyberbullying are commonplace enough that many students have at least anecdotal experience of negative technology use.   Again, we can look to adults to realize that bad behavior still occurs with role models.   Do we know coworkers or employees whose comments are either inflammatory toward their employers or at least reflect poorly on the employer or organization?  The likely answer is “yes”.  And as Facebook allows younger teens’ profiles to be searchable (Levin, 2013), teens need to be doubly aware that nothing they post – or text or e-mail – is private once they hit “send.”

Benbunan-Fich, R. (2012). The ethics and etiquette of multitasking in the workplace. Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE, 31(3), 15-19. http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2253/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=6313622

Levin, A. (2013, October 24). Could Facebook’s new privacy rules endanger your kids? Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-levin/could-facebooks-new-priva_b_4152034.html