The Impact of The Absence of Netiquette

Imagine if there were no traffic rules, what would happen; people would drive as they wish will lead to chaos and accidents. The same thing will happen if there were no social and governing rules. The reason we have rules to govern us is to guide us to become better citizens and safeguard and promote the welfare of all people.  

The same principle applies on the internet where there must be some standard rules to be followed for using the Internet. If there were no standard rules or Netiquette, then people will use the Internet as they wish, and this will result in serious problems. 

Following netiquette is important for everyone since the internet has become involved in almost every part of our lifes. Internet-related crimes have become a new and rapidly growing genre of crime, or cybercrime, and teenagers and adults are accidentally or intentionally becoming victims or culprits. Parents trust educators, to promote awareness about Netiquette practices to students. 

The school represents a place for discipline, learning, innovation, improving strengths, and skillsets, therefore educators need to create awareness among students about the right and wrong practices about Internet usage and modern means of communication. Students, Parents, and educators are connected electronically, however, the discipline and manners we exercise in our communication may not be always be reflected in the same way in the student’s communication. 

In some cases, you may know more about your students than their parents. The way some students behave at home may not be the same at school and vice-versa. We need to observe how the students are interacting with each other in class and in the playground, for example, the way they address each other and the way they relate to each other. This observation will help you understand the way they communicate and correct them, if need, to facilitate their training in online communication. If you observe impolite behavior and disrespect among students, then you need to talk to them privately and counsel them since these behaviors could be a reflection of their online behavior. 

Above all, there needs to be a standard Netiquette policy to be followed at school. Netiquette practices should be taught and also assessed by encouraging students to subscribe to online blogs hosted on the school network. The school administrators should inform and take consent from parents about this practice and explain to them that this will help students to present their ideas correctly as well as expressing their opinions about social and educational issues. When students are made to submit blogs and articles, their writing skills can be evaluated by the school’s moderator who can view all the content posted on the blog and they will evaluate what each student is posting and commenting on other students' blog articles. This will help us teach our students about the areas they need to carefully consider while posting any content online. Explain to them if someone were to write the same content to them, how they would feel. Teach them to respect and use this mode of communication effectively. 

You need to ensure that Netiquette practices are amended and modified with regard to changing technological developments. If you are not keeping abreast of Netiquette changes, it can make you outdated and vulnerable to online risks.