EDST 220: A Closer Look

Today’s students are online constantly. They are using the Internet in their classrooms, and they are using the Internet at home. They do everything from research for school projects to keeping in touch with friends online through social networking. There are blocks that can be placed on certain websites on home computers as well as computers at school, but what about when the child is elsewhere? What happens when a child who has never been taught about using proper etiquette on the Internet goes over to a friend’s house whose parents do not block certain websites and do not establish certain rules? Even if children aren’t out in search of “bad” websites, they are very easy to stumble across. Children must be educated in dealing with these situations before they are put in the middle of them. If teachers are sending their students out onto the Internet to explore and find new information, they must first educate them in how to deal with troublesome sites. It is teachers’ responsibility to teach their students proper netiquette. Netiquette is defined as the correct or acceptable way of behaving on the Internet and is necessary for students to have a safe and meaningful experience online.

When people use social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and even gaming systems, they often do not think about the long term effects of what they post. People often do not realize that what they post becomes permanent right away. They may delete it or take it off of their profile or whatever it may be, but once it is on the Internet, there is always a chance that it is there for good. Photographs and comments can be posted that can hurt feelings, damage relationships, and even ensue violence. Through this excessive and sometimes dangerous use of technology, we run the risk of raising a generation that is extremely tech-savvy, but lacks in real social skills and communication. A lack of social skills leads to a lack of empathy because of an inability to understand people’s thoughts and feelings, which in turn leads to a less civil society. When communicating through a computer, the computer is often thought of as a barrier between you, the person, and the conversation you are having. This is where many problems come into play. People often end up saying things online through social networking sites that they would not usually say to someone’s face. Even if what you say to someone over the Internet isn’t meant to be hurtful, it can often seem that way. When communicating in person, there are many more levels to the conversation than just the words being said. People’s facial expressions, mannerisms, tone of voice, and gestures are all added to the context of what is being said to get the point across. All of these key elements to communication are missing when socializing through technology. You can read even more about this at Web civility, safety Teaching ‘Netiquette’ puts children ahead of Internet game. This article discusses the importance of teaching netiquette and the negative effects that using technology as a social medium can have.

The article STOP Cyber-Bullying breaks cyber-bullying down into two different categories. There are direct attacks and cyber-bullying by proxy. Direct attacks occur when cruel or threatening messages are sent to the victim directly through a message, text, instant message, or something of the sort. Cyber-bullying by proxy is identified when the bully uses others to help attack the victim. The “accomplice” may or may not have knowledge of the bully’s intentions, but either way it is still considered cyber-bullying. This page, specifically about direct attacks provides a list of mediums that children may be bullied through. There are also numerous ways that someone can be cyber-bullied by proxy. There are endless possibilities of who the innocent, unknowing accomplice could be. It is often those who would generally be looking out for the victim’s best interest. Parents and even service providers whose job it is to keep cyber-bullying under control can often be the accomplice. Cyber-bullying by proxy usually begins with the cyber-bully posing as the victim. The cyber-bully is often able to hack into their victim’s account and send messages that the victim would not ever send. Once the cyber-bully has access to his victim’s account, he can do whatever and say whatever he wants and make it look like it was coming from his victim. This ends up turning those closest to the victim against him or her and can have very serious, lasting effects. Cyber-bullying is a serious issue that needs to be ended immediately. A strong understanding of netiquette needs to be built in our students and can help to prevent cyber-bullying happening among them.

These links below will take you to the other pages on my blog. These pages each discuss a certain aspect of E-Sponsibility. I hope you find this information useful!