What is digital etiquette?
Digital etiquette is a basic set of rules for polite behavior online. Also called “netiquette,” these rules and norms are intended to make the Internet a safer and more positive place for everyone. They deal with things like online messaging, emailing, posting on social media, commenting on others’ posts, and gaming. There isn’t an official rulebook for digital etiquette, but there are several general principles most people agree on, and we’ll cover them below.
11 Rules to Follow for Good Digital Etiquette
Keep things respectful, truthful, and kind in your online interactions. When you’re commenting, posting, or sending a message on the Internet, remember that you’re interacting with actual people who have feelings and deserve respect. Always follow the Golden Rule and treat people the way you would want to be treated, just like you would in person. This means avoiding inflammatory, unkind, or offensive language in your online interactions. You should also avoid strong personal criticisms or attacks, bullying, and spreading gossip about others. Here's a good rule of thumb to follow: if you wouldn’t say it to someone in-person, you absolutely shouldn’t post it online, either.
Review messages, comments, and posts before sending. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to type something rude or negative and hit “post.” Unfortunately, this often leads to hurt feelings, and you’ll often end up regretting it later—especially because what you say online is memorialized forever. To avoid this regret, pause and reflect before posting or sending something. Reread what you’ve written, and make sure it’s truthful, respectful, and fair. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if someone sent this to me or posted this about me?” If you would feel sad, hurt, or offended, don’t go through with sending the message or making the post.
Don’t engage in digital drama in the comments section. If you see a negative comment, you may be tempted to fight back with some heated words of your own. Though this may feel good in the moment, it only escalates things and makes them worse. Plus, unlike verbal arguments, online conversations can be preserved and documented forever, so your words can come back to bite you in the future. Because of this, it’s best to avoid replying to negative comments with more negativity. Instead, break the cycle with a positive comment, or disengage yourself from the conversation altogether. If you actually know this person, you can try to patch things up with them face-to-face, rather than going at each other online.
Don’t use profanity or type in all capitals. In many cases, swearing or using offensive language can lead to arguments or hurt feelings, so it’s best to avoid these things in your online interactions. Similarly, typing in all capitals can make it feel as if you’re yelling at someone, so it’s typically considered impolite. If you want to emphasize a point, try italicizing, bolding, or putting asterisks around it, rather than typing it in all caps. For example, instead of emailing someone, “I need you to send me ALL the reports before the meeting on Monday,” which comes across as a bit rude, you could say: “I’ll need to review *all* the reports before the meeting on Monday. Can you send them? I’m missing a few.”
Protect your privacy and the privacy of others. When you post something publicly on the internet, strangers now have access to that information. Because of this, it’s safest to avoid posting personal information (such as your full name, where you live, where you go to school, where you work, etc). You should also respect others’ privacy and avoid posting their personal information without permission. For example, if you want to post a picture of a friend or share an update about their life, you should always check to make sure it’s okay with them first. Your friend may not be comfortable with their personal details being on the internet, so if they tell you not to post something, you’ll need to respect their decision.
Never plagiarize another person’s words or content. Whenever you want to share a photo or video someone else has taken or post something that someone else has written, make sure to give them credit, and never try to pass off their content as your own.
Don’t send or forward inappropriate material to others. Avoid sending explicit or inappropriate photos, videos, messages, or links to other people. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable showing something to someone in-person, this is a surefire sign that it’s not appropriate to send it to them online, either.
Don’t troll or spam others. “Trolling” means posting or commenting intentionally offensive or provocative things to upset others. “Spamming” means sending a large number of unsolicited emails or messages. Both of these behaviors are considered bad internet etiquette and should be avoided.
Stay on topic when posting or commenting. If you’re posting on a message board or online forum, try to stick to the topic at hand, rather than bringing up something unrelated. This also goes for comments on videos or photos. For example, if you’re part of a Facebook group meant to help people in your city find roommates, don’t make a post asking the members for good restaurant recommendations, since this is off-topic. Similarly, if you’re watching a YouTube video on how to crochet a sweater, don’t comment asking how to knit a sweater, since that is an entirely different process. Instead, look up a different video on how to knit a sweater.
Show good sportsmanship when gaming online. If you enjoy playing video games against others online, treat them with kindness and respect. Avoid being a sore loser, and do your best to keep your cool, even when you’re frustrated.
Behave appropriately for each online setting you’re in. Digital etiquette will vary from setting to setting, and what’s acceptable in one place may not be acceptable in another. For example, if you’re sending a message in a group chat with your friends, it may be appropriate to use texting lingo and informal language. If you’re posting a message in your online classroom for school, on the other hand, you’ll likely need to use proper spelling and punctuation, and your language should be more formal. Pay attention to the ways people are posting and communicating in whatever online setting you’re in, and adjust your own behavior accordingly.
How to Teach Digital Etiquette to Your Children
Have a conversation about Internet conduct and safety with your kids. In today’s world, it’s nearly impossible to keep your children from using the Internet. At some point, they’ll need to do online research for an assignment, communicate via text with classmates about a project, or create a social media account to keep up with friends. Because of this, it’s important to make them aware of the basic rules of netiquette. When you talk to your child about digital etiquette, make sure to explain why each of the rules is so important. This will help your child understand why they should follow them. For example: When you tell your child to be mindful about what they post, explain that this is because what they say online is permanent, and their digital footprint can affect whether they get hired for a job or admitted to a college. When you tell them to keep their online interactions kind and positive, explain the dangers of cyberbullying and the negative effects it can have on people. When cautioning them against sharing personal information online, explain that this is to prevent dangerous people (such as predators or hackers) from gaining access to it.
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