Page 51 - digital citizenship

Respect

Respect is one of those ideals that deserves some extra
TLC and effort when it comes to any actions online.
While hopefully, the students you know won’t be the
targets of cyberbullying and hate speech, we all need to
be aware of the subtle signs. The worst is when a young
child tries to shoulder the devastating effects on their
own. Likewise, we need to encourage our students to
stand up and help others who they think are being
cyberbullied. And don’t forget about all the nuanced
shades of gray when it comes to digital drama. While
bullying and drama are not new, the 24/7 access
perpetrators have to subversively taunt others takes the
devastating effects to a whole new level.

Responsibility

This sense of respect segues into responsibility as
students learn how to form open and trusting
relationships with one another. One of the upsides of the
Internet is how students can explore and pursue diverse
interests. They can meet others who share these passions
and begin to form an independent sense of self. Yet they