Where do you draw the line between having fun and being inappropriate online? Is it different online than offline?

[Phil Macoun]

I've just finished having a very interesting and also frustrating conversation with some of you folks from Australia. | was about to go to bed over here in Canada when I accidentally stumbled across the Ning chat room and realized that there was a very active chat going on at that moment. From my perspective (as someone who did not know the people chatting) it looked like a bunch of students writing hello to each other in a number of different ways, except that occasionally there were comments that were from my perspective quite rude and abusive. So I decided to join the chat and was immediately frustrated to see how stuffy and judgmental I sounded. I was hammering away at my keyboard trying to figure out how to put in writing what I could do in seconds in person, and hoping I wouldn't alienate you all in the process. While I was writing, the comment that I got most in reply was the Australian equivalent of 'we were just joking around'. So I thought I would start this discussion and see if anyone was interested in continuing this conversation. Digital Etiquette members? Anyone?

[PhoebeF_Tigs]

Where do you draw the line between having fun and being inappropriate online? Is it different online than offline?

Many teenagers and even adults of today's society have no idea when it is the right time to stop and cool it down during the use of online communication technology, this can lead to major arguments, bullying, discrimination and even imprisonment in extreme cases.

I believe all uses of online and offline communication facilities should be responsible enough and learn when it is the right time to draw a line before it goes too far and then gets out of hand.

In a way I do think the line is different online compared to face to face communication because when someone is joking around with somebody face to face the perpetrator can start to see when the conversation gets out of hand because the other people's reactions may start to change and they decrease participation in the convocation or act of bullying such as mental, verbal or physical. Whereas online the act may pass the line but there is no evidence of emotional status as you cannot see the other people and there is different ways of communication that varies from blog rooms, social networks, and video clips ect.

I believe the right time to draw the line between having fun and being inappropriate is before racism and jokes, rejection and abuse that may harm another person becomes a part of the conversation.

[Kishan_W_TIGS]

Hello Mr.Macoun, my name is Kishan a Year 9 student from The Illwarra Grammar school, Australia. I can understand your concerns and frustrations regarding students not following proper digital etiquette, as a digital citizen. Although I do not condone their digital behavior, I feel you must understand that the idea of being a good digital citizen has not been taught to many digital citizens. In fact many of our parents ask for our advice on how to use the internet! So where do students learn appropriate netiquette? Yes some schools teach digital etiquette, but unfortunately this would not be true globally. Some schools create rules and regulations or even ban the technology that is being used inappropriately, outside school there is really no one to enforce it. Perhaps the students in the chat room were not aware of what was appropriate or not.

You mentioned that the students spent most of their time saying hello, in different ways. If one understands that a chat room is a place for people to communicate with each other in real-time, so long they do not verbally abuse, attack, embarrass, or threaten anyone else in the chat room, no matter what they say, then how can this be a breech of netiquette.

The virtual world often provides a screen that allows people to write things online that they would never say to someone in person. It is difficult to be verbally abusive to some one face to face, and see their reactions to your abuse. In the real world, such discomfort over hurting someone’s feelings makes people think about what they would consider appropriate language and expression of thought. The consequences of their actions are all too real. But in the virtual world, people will often type things that are more rude and abusive—than they would ever say in real life. They can be and act like anyone they want too, with apparent negligible consequences. Some of the students who were rude and abusive in the Ning chat room obviously had a very ‘thick screen’ up. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t most chat rooms have a moderator (the police so to speak for the site). Perhaps, if the moderator did not put a stop to this intercourse, the nature and language used on this site followed the etiquette for the chat room.

Having said that, if we all remember to follow the simple rules of the non-digital society that we do not verbally insult, attack, humiliate, or threaten anyone else, no matter what they say, and translate it to the digital world, then we would all be better digital citizens.

[BenS_Tigs]

Hi
I’m Ben and i got to The Illawarra Grammar.
I have some pretty strong opinions on this topic. Many people seem to think that etiquette on the net should be different than in the real world. I disagree; I don’t see why we as teenagers should act any differently on the internet than we act in real life. Some people seem to think that you can bully people or harass people on the net and that’s because your not saying it to the persons face its fair game. But we as teenagers should just take it on ourselves to just not do that sort of thing on chat rooms or in emails. It just pins this negative image on the whole internet using community (especially the ones that are teens).
Thanks
Ben

[Phil Macoun]

Wow, I only just discovered some of the great new responses to this discussion by NicholasM, PhoebeF, Kishan and Ben. Thanks for taking the time to write such eloquent replies. Sorry it's taken me so long to respond, school is actually out over here in Canada.

It is really heartening for me to read about how all of you are thinking about the differences between virtual and face to face interactions and understand the dilemma of trying to communicate any kind of nuanced message (like sarcasm, in jokes etc) using a medium where you don't get any immediate feedback to your message.

One of you mentioned that it's just teens being teens and I think there is something to that. I don't know if bullying is any more prevalent face to face or on the internet at my school, I just know that it can be more hurtful online and that it is also easier to track.

One of you quoted me saying that "they just seemed seemed to be saying hello in different ways." I have to admit, while to me that seems like a weird way to spend your time, I didn't mean to insinuate that I had a problem with that kind of behaviour in a chat room. Truthfully, that's usually what my students do when I give them access to google chat in class.

You also mentioned that a moderator should have been in the chat and that if they were maybe the behaviour was ok. I guess I was the moderator as I was a teacher involved in the project. The honest truth is that there is no way for teachers that let their students use these tools to track everything their students do (although we can track quite a lot). At some point we have to say " we trust you" and feel these are important experiences for you to have and hope that you all rise to the challenge.

Thanks again for your responses. You all strike me as fine examples of Digital Citizens.