As parents we spend a great deal of time teaching our children manners: sharing with others, being respectful, saying "please" and "thank you." We want them to learn how to act in various social situation, so why not on-line, too?
We have to face the fact that social media is not just a phase-it's is how pre-teens and teens communicate and bond with their peers. But it's also not just for teens. More and more adults are joining social media.
1. Exercise the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you wouldn't speak to the person that way face to face, then don't do it on-line.
2. Remember everything you post on-line is public. It doesn't matter whether or not you delete the message or text. If you've published it, it's traceable. When you post things on-line, you're creating a cyber fingerprint that can be found for years to come.
3. DON'T USE ALL CAPS when you're emailing or posting something. It is a form of SHOUTING.
4. Speak kindly. Remember: it may look like a screen in front of you, but there's another person with feelings on the receiving end.
5. Don't post things when you're angry. It's never a good idea to post something when you're emotional. Take some time to clear your head before you deal with the situation. This will help you refrain from saying something that you later regret.
6. Use different usernames and passwords. Don't use the same one all the time. Many teens use the same username and password for all of their sites and this is not a good idea. If someone figures out your security information, they'll have access to everything. It's best to set-up different usernames and passwords for maximum protection.
7. Don't make up silly email addresses. You will use your email address for college applications, job applications, resumes, and scholarship opportunities. Look at your email address; Does it set a good impression? If not, reset it.
8. Don't post pictures of yourself or others unless you mind them being shared with everyone. Be very selective of what you upload on the computer. If you can't send the picture to your Grandmother, you shouldn't be putting it on the internet. If it's a friend's photo, ask yourself if their parents would want that photo posted. If the answer's "no" then don't publish it.
9. Don't talk to strangers. Don't get into chat rooms and reveal confidential things about yourself. You may feel that you know the person on the other end of your cyber connection, but they can be a phony.
10. Don't give out personal and confidential information on-line. Never share your full name, home address, phone number, Social Security number, passwords, names of family members, or credit card numbers.
Note to Parent. One of the best ways you can teach social media manners is to practice them yourself. Our kids take their most important lessons not by what we tell them to do, but what they see US do. The social media manners they take to heart will be the ones taught by example. Let's be the role models they need.
