Understand and follow acceptable policies (school, home and community), and understand the personal and societal consequences of inappropriate use.
Demonstrate and advocate for ethical and legal behaviors among peers, family, and community.
Practice citing sources of text and digital information and make informed decisions about the most appropriate methods for avoiding plagiarism.
Make ethical and legal decisions while using technology, technology systems, digital media, and information technology when confronted with usage dilemmas.
Exhibit responsibility and Netiquette when communicating digitally.
Recognize the signs and emotional effects, the legal consequences and effective solutions for Cyberbullying.
Recognize the appropriate time and place to use digital tools, techniques, and resources.
Understand the importance of online identity management and monitoring. Advocate others to understand the importance of Online Reputation Management (Internet Keep Safe Coalition, 2009).
Chabraszewski, J. (Photographer). (n.d.). Boy Using Computer at Home [digital image]. Retrieved March 22, 2019 from https://stock.adobe.com
Guidelines for avoiding ethical problems at home and at school (Adapted from C3 Ethics Guidelines above)
Rule #1: No matter how real the “prize, money, investment, etc.” may be, never give out any information to unsolicited communications. Guideline 1 and 2: Scammers can and will do whatever it takes to get your information for their benefit. Scammers have been known to send realistic emails with links to fake websites to obtain your user names and passwords. The websites scammers design can look almost identical to the real one and you would need to be very observant of the web address and the page itself of odd misspellings or other parts of the site that is unfamiliar.
Rule #2: Do not give money, in any form, to unsolicited communications. Guideline 1 and 2: Scammers will also try to extort money from you by falsely representing an official law enforcement entity. Some of the more common scams are that of the caller states that they represent the FBI, IRS, or local police department and that there is a warrant out for your arrest but if you send money right now the warrant can be canceled or settled. Do not fall for this. Federal agencies and local police departments do not operate in this fashion. If you have doubts about the validity of the call just ask specific questions such as:
Ask for the full name and job title of the caller?
What is the specific location of the police department?
Can I pay the fee at the police department or courthouse?
What is the name on the warrant, with spelling?
What is the specific charge and code of the law of which you are charged?
Some other clues that may alert you to a scam:
If the caller asks you to get untraceable gift cards.
Doesn’t know or gives the wrong address for the agency.
If the caller starts to get hostile when asked questions and doesn’t answer them properly.
Rule #3: Do not click on links within correspondences (e.g. e-mails or text messages) or allow anyone to remote into your computer. Guideline 1 and 2: Thieves will use every scam in the book to get you to allow them to take control of your computer or electronic device and steal your information that is stored on it. Allowing anyone to remote into your device also allows your device to have programs, called malware, be installed. This malware will give the thieves access to the device even when the connection has ended. Other malware can track GPS locations, track each keystroke, or even give them access to any camera or microphone on the device. Malware can also be disguised as a link in an e-mail or text message. The link could be a funny video or resemble a fraud alert from a bank.
Rule #4: Do not illegally download and share protected media and other files. Guideline 3: Did you know that the theft of intellectual property is illegal, aka piracy? There are so many websites that illegally allows anyone with just a couple of clicks to steal protected forms of media. On the other hand, there are plenty of media and other files that are offered under the public domain that allows you to use it for free. Additionally, the fair use of copyright material for criticism, parodies, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research is allowed. Please make sure to cite all sources for any of your assignments as part of academic integrity.
Rule #5: Do not participate in cyber-bullying.
Guideline 6: Cyber-bullying is defined as containing the following elements “…unwanted aggressive behavior; observed or perceived power imbalance; and repetition of behaviors or high likelihood of repetition. There are many different modes and types of bullying.” (Facts About Bullying, n.d.).
Although there are not any federal laws against bullying many schools have rules against bullying with serious consequences affecting your academic career. Be cautious of what you convey through social media and other electronic platforms because what you think is innocent can be perceived as bullying. Some examples of bullying could include the following: teasing, name-calling, taunting, spreading rumors, or sexual remarks (this one can lead to legal trouble). Be aware of the school’s policy on bullying and what constitutes bullying (Facts About Bullying, n.d.). Both parents and students should have open and honest dialogue to prevent bullying.
Rule #6: Know when to disconnect from your devices and the net for the sake of your health.
Guideline 7: Net addiction is a real thing and it can seriously impair your health. Here are some warning signs that may indicate that you need to disconnect for a while as listed by Gregory (2019):
Depression
Anxiety
Feelings of euphoria when on the net
Isolation
Loss sense of time
Mood swings
Backache
Insomnia
Poor personal hygiene
Weight loss of gain
Both parents and children should practice healthy net usage by setting aside time disconnected and socializing without the use of electronic devices. There are some devices that track time on the device that can assist with the planning of the disconnect time. There are also applications or software that can be purchased to block usage at scheduled times.
Rule #7: Just be yourself.
Guideline 8: The creation of internet accounts of another person’s name for the purpose of making the activity that you do on the net appear to be from someone else could lead to serious legal trouble and a serious disruption to your academic career. Motives behind impersonating someone on the net are not innocent. This action can be perceived as malicious and possibly illegal. According to Webroot.com, online impersonation in California can result in a fine of $1000 and one year in jail (2019).
Syda Productions. (Photographer). (n.d.). Little School Girl with Tablet PC Over Classroom [digital image]. Retrieved March 22, 2019 from https://stock.adobe.com
References
Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN). (2015, December 23). Online scams or fraud. ACORN. Retrieved from https://www.acorn.gov.au/learn-about-cybercrime/online-scams-or-fraud
Facts About Bullying. (n.d.). Stopbullying.gov. Retrieved from https://www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html
Gregory, C. (2019, March). Internet Addiction Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments. PSYCOM. Retrieved from https://www.psycom.net/iadcriteria.html
Internet Keep Safe Coalition (2009). A Companion to the Augmented Technology Literacy Standards for Students. iKeepSafe C3 Matrix Digital Citizenship.
University of Missouri-Kansas City. (n.d.). Legal and Ethical Issues with Intellectual Property. Retrieved from http://sce2.umkc.edu/BIT/burrise/it222/notes/ip.html
Webroot Smarter Cybersecurity. (2019). Discussing Online Impersonation with Your Kids. Webroot. Retrieved from https://www.webroot.com/au/en/resources/tips-articles/discuss-online-impersonation-with-your-kids