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As a parent, I have literally seen online social media tear my son apart. Some of the interactions he has been subjected to have been intentionally destructive while others have not been intentional. What does it do to a young person who suffers from low self-esteem to see pictures and posts about "everybody" else hanging out with friends while he sits home alone in his room? What does it do to a young person who is trying to figure out who he wants to be to be barraged with anonymous questions that are hurtful in nature? What about a young person who tries to reach out to his peers because he is struggling with suicidal ideation and instead of being told he is worth something to be told instead to just kill himself? These are the "norms" of online social media for a young person yet these should not be the norms of online interactions with others. Some of these stories belong to us. Some belong to others I know. Yet they all lead to one very shocking truth. This fantastic information filled universe is tearing our kids apart. What should be the norms of digital citizenship? I personally feel they should be to treat others with respect and dignity. How does one go about doing that though? If only there were some online license that would need to be distributed in order to use the information highway!
I find this idea of rights and responsibilities tied heavily to each other. Yes, we have the right to use these tools but with rights come responsibilities and duties as it were. Using our government as a metaphor for Internet use would be a helpful guide to teaching digital citizenship to older students as they carve out a way to express themselves without hindering others.
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