Netiquette: Net, Communication and Social Media Etiquette

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. Would you shout at a teacher in class? Of course not. So why do some people shout in capital letters online? Today we will learn netiquette, the good manners of the internet. We will cover digital citizenship, email and chat etiquette, social media etiquette and respecting others online.

First, the new word. Netiquette joins two words, net and etiquette. Etiquette means polite rules of behaviour. So netiquette means good manners while using the internet. It covers how you talk, share and behave with others online. Your textbook may divide it into net etiquette, communication etiquette and social media etiquette.

A digital citizen is anyone who uses the internet, and that includes you. A good digital citizen uses technology safely, responsibly and kindly. They follow the law and respect copyright. They check facts before forwarding a message. They protect their own privacy and the privacy of others. And they help, rather than harm, people online.

Net etiquette means general good manners on the internet. Be ethical: do not use pirated software, movies or songs. Share your knowledge, for example by answering a classmate's doubt politely. Respect copyright, which is the legal right of a creator over their work. If you use someone's photo or writing, give credit. Do not hog shared resources, such as downloading huge files on school Wi-Fi during a class.

Now communication etiquette, starting with email. Always write a clear subject line, so the reader knows what the email is about. Start with a greeting, such as Dear Ma'am, and end with your name. Keep it short and check spelling before you send. Do not type in all capital letters, because online that looks like shouting. Use reply all only when everyone really needs your reply.

Compare these two emails to a teacher. The bad one has no subject; the good one says, Leave on fifteenth July. The bad one opens with hey; the good one says, Dear Ma'am. The bad one shouts in capitals; the good one says, please share the notes. The bad one just stops; the good one ends with the student's name and class.

Chat apps and class groups have their own manners. Stay on topic in a class group, and do not flood it with jokes or forwards. Do not send messages late at night unless it is urgent. Avoid voice notes and big files in groups unless they are needed. Be careful with short forms and emojis, because they can be misread. Remember that tone is hard to read in text, so choose words kindly.

Social media etiquette is about how you post and share. Be careful: posts spread fast and are hard to remove. Think before you post, and never share anything made in anger. Do not post photos of other people without their permission. Check facts before forwarding news, because fake news spreads quickly. Report hateful or fake content instead of arguing with it.

Here is how to handle a forwarded news message. First, you receive the message. Ask, is it from a trusted news source or an official website? If yes, you may share it. If no, ask whether a quick search confirms it from a reliable source. If yes, share the reliable link instead. If no, do not forward it.

Respect is the heart of netiquette. Be polite even when you disagree, and argue about ideas, not people. Respect privacy, so never share someone's number, address or chats without permission. Never make fun of anyone for their looks, language, religion or caste. Do not tag people in embarrassing photos. Treat everyone online as you would like to be treated.

Pause and predict. Is each action good netiquette or poor netiquette? Replying to a teacher in full sentences is good netiquette. Posting a friend's photo without asking is poor netiquette. Forwarding a scary message without checking is poor netiquette. Politely correcting wrong information with a source is good netiquette.

Let us revise what we learned today. Netiquette means good manners on the internet. A good digital citizen is safe, responsible and kind online. Emails need a clear subject, polite greeting and no shouting in capitals. On social media, think before you post and check before you forward. And always respect other people and their privacy.