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As educators and child advocates, it is our responsibility to see that students should be carefully informed regarding the rights and wrongs of digital citizenship. Respectful dialogue online and respecting their own and others privacy with sharing is paramount. They also need to be reminded of the safety issues that result from exposing themselves or others online through photographs. Students need to understand that being online is the equivalent of standing up in front of a large crowd of people and giving a speech. You may know some of these people or none. We can help students to recognize that nothing should be shared online that they would not be comfortable seeing on the front page of a newspaper or in a television report. Our students need to be cautioned that words once spoken, or written online cannot be erased. Photos posted can be accessed and used by others without permission. Even if they have deleted the content, it is a fairly simple process for it to be retrieved. In addition to privacy rights, students should also be schooled in critical thinking about content they view online, and how to discern truthful sources of information versus those that are not accurate. As adults, it is our responsibility to help students learn to make good decisions about their online comments and behavior with expectations that mirror appropriate behaviors in other areas of life. Social skills, good manners, and critical thinking are vital for success in life and the internet is one more arena in which our students need training as part of life skills.
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