Netiquette_for_pageflip

Now Netiquette

A Comprehensive Guide to Manners,
Dealing with Bullying and Enjoying Online Life

#*#$%!! Oh no!

GAS 2U!

DQMOT, BSF IDK WCA
2TXT W/LOA.

IYO, ITS EZ &PDQ... IDTS.

IMHO, ARE =ADIH. TBH,
FUBAR &2M2H. GIAR,
PLZ! KISS.

.02

#*#$%!! Oh no!

Netiquette

/ˈnɛtɪkɛt/
Definition:
noun: netiquette
– the correct or acceptable way of using the Internet

The internet as we know it today was developed by a British scientist in the 1980’s called
Tim Berners-Lee. His idea was to create a network accessible from any computer for
communication purposes and for sharing information – I think you would agree that he did a
pretty good job.
By the year 2000, 51% of all telecommunicated information was accessed through the
internet, rising to 97% in 2007 - today almost all information is channelled through the
internet and it can easily be said that when Mr Berners-Lee invented the world-wide-web
even he probably had little idea of its incredible scope.
In fact, the success of the internet and its corresponding features has resulted in technology
moving so quickly that by the time you read this, less than a year after it was written, some
of the information may well be out-of-date. Luckily if you feel that there is any information
that is missing, you can always just Google it!
The internet is a wonderful supplement to our lives if used properly allowing us to access
instant information, keep in touch with our friends and family, shop, play games, feel
technologically superior to our parents, keep track of our money, keep ahead of the news,
order a takeaway to be delivered and a million other things.
Whether you’re a big fan or not, the internet has now become such a large part of our lives
that it can be said that we now lead two lives – a real life and a virtual life.
Whilst your real life is immediate and physical, your virtual life, by its very nature, feels
remote and anonymous – the trouble is that its not.

NOW NETIQUETTE 1

Dear Reader,

Now Netiquette has been created in response to the need for education surrounding the
internet, communication, reputation and social media. The project explores the different
media that currently exist as I write and how to negotiate the pitfalls of what is, an
unregulated and powerful tool.

The internet, social media, gaming and modern forms of communication are generally
accepted as positive steps forward. However, like anything in life, there are unwanted
and perhaps unplanned-for dangers that are waiting for unprepared users.

Now Netiquette is aimed at young people between the ages of 10 and 14, to help give them
a good grounding into the workings of internet communication and help to close some
of the trap doors that exist online.

The book begins with a mind map, showing how we communicate online, followed by
topics including communication, reputation, parental controls, security, spending and
cyberbullying. Each topic has activities to complete, as well as discussion opportunities
between groups or with appropriate adults.

We hope that Now Netiquette, with its lesson plans and activities proves to be fun and
enjoyable, as well as thought provoking and useful.

Finally we wish you a safe and successful life online!

Author – Ian Jackson
Published by – Community Initiatives Associates
25 Egerton Street, Chester CH1 3ND
Telephone 0800 783 5805
www.communityinitiatives.co.uk
Copyright Ian Jackson. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format
without the express permission of the copyright holder.
ISBN: 978-1-5272-2401-8

2 NOW NETIQUETTE

Now Netiquette 1
4-5
Contents 6
7
Netiquette 8
Mind Map 9
Mind Map Explanation 10
...before we go any further 12-13
Permanent 15
Permanent Activity 16
You & Communication 19
You & Communication Activity 20
Good Rules to Remember 21
You & Your Reputation 22-23
You & Your Reputation Activity 24
You & Internet Safety 25
Parental Controls 26
Parental Control Activity (With Parents) 28-29
You & Internet Security 30
You & Internet Security Activity 32-33
You & Internet Spending 34
You & Internet Spending Activity 36
You & Cyberbullying 38
You & Cyberbullying Activity 40
You & Keeping Control
You & Cyberslang
Resources
Parental Control Discussion

NOW NETIQUETTE 3

Now Netiquette

Mind Map

HOW, WHEN FACEB
WHY, WHAT TWIT
COMMUNICATION
- LANGUAGE INSTA
SNAP
LIVE
AGE LIMITS
- LEGALITY

XBOX, WII SOC
PLAYSTATION MED

SWITCH

IN-GAME GAMING
PURCHASES

DIRECT YO

COMMUNICATION PASSW
PROTEC
EMAIL,
INSTANT
MESSAGING,
WHATSAPP

BULLYING

TEXT

NORTON
KASPERSKY

IDEN
THE

BAN
MON

4 NOW NETIQUETTE

BOOK,
TTER,
AGRAM,
PCHAT

CIAL ACCESS LAPTOP
DIA LIMITS TABLET

SMART YOUTUBE
PHONE

OU SHARE

DOWNLOADS

INTERNET VIOLENCE
SAFETY

WORD

CTION AGE

APPROPRIATE ADULT

SOCIAL CONTENT
MEDIA
NTITY
EFT PARENTAL BAD
CONTROLS LANGUAGE
A GOOD IDEA?

NKS /
NEY

NOW NETIQUETTE 5

Mind Map Explanation

A mind map is an easy way to brainstorm thoughts
organically without worrying about order and
structure. It allows you to visually organise your
ideas to help with analysis and recall.

A mind map is a diagram for representing tasks,
words, concepts, or items linked to and arranged
around a central theme using a non-linear graphical layout.
This allows the user to build an intuitive framework around
a central concept. A mind map can turn a long list of
monotonous information into a colourful, memorable
and highly organised diagram that works in line with
your brain’s natural way of doing things.

In this case we are using a mind map to organise how we interact with the internet.
We’ve tried to include as many interactions as possible and this has helped to organise
the thoughts and processes surrounding this project and lesson planning.

The subject of the internet and communication is complicated with many areas overlapping
each other. Some people find the complexity of the subject to be almost “too big to think
about” and people can easily be overtaken by new technology and find the internet a
daunting tool to use.

By mind mapping, I hope you’ll agree that we have simplified and organised people’s
thoughts in a way that is easily understood, whilst remaining interesting.

Total Internet Profile (TIP)

The mind map is a good way of showing your Total Internet Profile (TIP) and we’ll use that
phrase a great deal as we go through the project. Basically, your Total Internet Profile (TIP)
represents everything shown on the mind map. Some of the activities you’ll do regularly and
some perhaps more infrequently, but as you go through your life all of the points shown on
the mind map will touch your life in some way.

6 NOW NETIQUETTE

...before we go any further

Before we go any further there is one very important
piece of information that you should know;
Everything posted on the internet by you, or by others
about you, should be thought of as PERMANENT.
Scary thought eh?
Plus, you should remember that unless you set robust
privacy settings, anything and everything that appears
on the internet related to you can be accessed, saved
and/or shared by anyone - even people you’ve never met.

Uh oh…no wait, that’s rubbish isn’t it? If you’ve got your privacy settings to ‘friends only’ and

#*#$%!!if you post a daft picture only they can see it can’t they? Phew!

But….what if your friends repost it and then share it with their friends, someOofhwnhoom!

you won’t know - then what if they share it with their friends who you definitely won’t
know – then, what if some of those people have forgotten to review their privacy settings
and everyone on the internet can now see you posing in your Batman or Wonder Woman
costume with your prize pooch licking tomato sauce off your chin?
Crikey!
What happens now? Oh I know, I’ll delete it...quick!
So, here’s what I’ll do, I’ll delete it from my social media profile, just a click of a button and
hey presto, it’s done!
But....you can’t delete it, it’s been shared and to get rid of it you’d have to access every single
person’s social media networks and delete it there…guess what? It’s now PERMANENT.

NOW NETIQUETTE 7

Permanent

/ˈpəːm(ə)nənt/
Definition:
adjective
– lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely

Ok, so that picture’s permanent – so what? It’s funny!
Look, you’re right and in a million cases that’s true and it all shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
It’s just you being crazy right? Everyone knows you’re a bit of a joker anyway. Plus, it’s a
pretty harmless photo at the end of the day and no-one could take offence – could they?
Except, there’s no escape from that word again – PERMANENT.
The thing is that your Total Internet Profile (TIP) will stay with you to pretty much form a
kind of virtual diary of your life. Who you are, what you like or don’t like, where you’ve lived,
who’ve been your friends, your hobbies, your loves, your dreams, where you went to school,
how many GCSE’s, A-Levels, Degrees, Masters, Doctorates, Professorships you achieved and
what that led to – in fact, a tidy log of your entire life’s history.
So, the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep it all good and positive!
After all, the things that interest you now won’t necessarily interest you in later life – plus,
you think your Mum pulling out an old photo album to show your newest love what you
looked like when you were a kid is embarrassing? Wait till they come across that picture
with you, the costume, the pooch and the tomato sauce – nightmare!

8 NOW NETIQUETTE

Permanent ACTIVITY

We’ve established that almost
everything you post online could be
permanent.
In this activity you’ll see a series of
examples and pictures which could
be posted by anyone and in each case
you’ll be asked to respond and assess
your decision.

Split into groups of 3 or 4

Consider each image and discuss
these points, carefully recording your
findings from examining each picture,
1-10.

a) What do you think of this image
and how does it make you feel?

b) Would you post this?
c) Why would you post this?
d) How many people will see it?
e) What could be the possible

opinions/responses from the
people that see it?
f) How will this post make you look
in the eyes of people that see it?
g) Can you take it down if the
response is negative?
h) If you do take it down, how do
you know that it hasn’t already
been reposted/shared?
i) Would you want this as permanently
attached to you?

Record the main points of discussion for each image on a separate piece of paper
and present your findings to the rest of the class.

NOW NETIQUETTE 9

You & Communication

Your parents, aunties, uncles, guardians, teachers and everyone else at least twice your age
have probably already told you that the only way to get to talk to their friends twenty years
ago was by knocking on their door – they exaggerate of course, they also had telephones.

Today there are so many ways to communicate its almost mind boggling.

There’s social media with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, plus the others I haven’t
mentioned. Then there’s text, e-mail, WhatsApp and all sorts of instant messaging services
that exist on smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Plus, there’s your gaming communication on x-box live or the Wii or Playstation, not to
mention all the comments you can leave on Youtube or streaming sites.

Now, I’m not telling you what you can or can’t say, that would be ridiculous – the truth is
that you can literally say anything you like.

Uh oh? Anything I like? Really?

Yup, absolutely anything you feel like saying, you can just go ahead and blurt it all out. You
can tell all your friends what you had for breakfast, how many flakes of corn were in the
bowl, how many millilitres of milk it took to cover the flakes, how long it took you to tie your
shoelaces, how you were nearly late for the bus because you couldn’t find your blazer, how
many steps your fitness watch told you it takes to get from your bedroom to the kitchen,
blah blah blah.

But, if I were you, I wouldn’t say anything unless it was interesting enough for you to want
to hear yourself. I mean, people just don’t share that much in real life, so why do it in your
virtual life?

Speaking of things you would never do in your
real life, imagine this – you see a random
12-year old at a bus-stop, you walk straight up
to them and say, “I was thinking about having

lasagne for lunch, what are you having?”

10 NOW NETIQUETTE

Imagine the look you’d get?! I mean, you’d never do that would you?
Well think of this – if you did want to tell everyone this vital piece of information about
your dietary requirements online and you’ve made a ‘friend’ of someone on a social media
platform that you’ve never met in the real world, that’s exactly what you’re doing!
Listen, all I’m trying to say is, never make friends with someone you’ve only ever met in
your online life. They might sound really smart or funny or they might be good-looking or a
brilliant footballer, but at the end of the day you don’t know if that’s actually true.
Remember I said earlier about the fact that you can say anything you like? Well I’m sorry to
break it to you, but some people lie, especially about themselves. I mean, if you’ve never
actually met them how do you know?
Take me for instance - I’m six-foot three with a washboard stomach, blue eyes and flowing
blonde curls. I’ve got a Professorship in Psychology from Oxford University and I’m so
successful that I drive a Bentley, a Ferrari and I’ve got a 120ft Sunseeker moored in
Marbella. I live in London, but I also spend time in my mansion in LA and lounging around
the pool at my villa which is on a golf course in Dubai.
Do you believe me? Unless you’ve ever met me, guess what? You’ll never know.
Here we go, how about a quick test. I’ll give you a description of someone I made up and
you tell me; a) how old they are, and b) whether they’re male or female, Ok?
I’m a brilliant footballer and I love playing Fifa and talking to all of my friends on x-box live.
My favourite youtuber is DonnyP, some of the stunts he pulls are lit! Plus he’s gorge! I think
I can get you a slot on his next private webcast if you fancy it? It’s pretty exclusive tbh, so let
me know asap…ta x
So what do you think? Discuss it amongst yourselves if you’re in class or with a trusted adult
if you’re not. If you cover all the available angles, there’s no way of knowing is there?

NOW NETIQUETTE 11

You & Communication ACTIVITY

/kəmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/

Definition:
noun: communication
– The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing or using some
other medium

Write down ten differences between a face-to-face communication and a communication
that takes place exclusively online with an example.
In each case consider a) the quality of the communication and b) how the communication
could be misinterpreted

DIFFERENCE 1 DIFFERENCE 2
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

QUALITY ASSESSMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT

MISINTERPRETATIONS MISINTERPRETATIONS

DIFFERENCE 3 DIFFERENCE 4
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

QUALITY ASSESSMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT
MISINTERPRETATIONS MISINTERPRETATIONS

12 NOW NETIQUETTE

DIFFERENCE 5 DIFFERENCE 6
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

QUALITY ASSESSMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT
MISINTERPRETATIONS MISINTERPRETATIONS

DIFFERENCE 7 DIFFERENCE 8
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

QUALITY ASSESSMENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT
MISINTERPRETATIONS
DIFFERENCE 9 MISINTERPRETATIONS
EXAMPLE
DIFFERENCE 10
QUALITY ASSESSMENT EXAMPLE
MISINTERPRETATIONS
QUALITY ASSESSMENT
MISINTERPRETATIONS

NOW NETIQUETTE 13

You & Communication

So, as I’ve said, if I were you I’d only ‘friend’ someone on any social media or communication
platform if I already knew them in my real world.

Once you’ve connected with your friends, you can then group them so that only certain
friends can only see certain posts. For example you might want to have friends x, y & z in
your chess group to talk about the latest version of the Ruy Lopez, whilst you might group
friends, a, b & c differently, because they only respond to anything associated with Luke
Skywalker.

Plus, on every social media platform there are privacy settings which can help you keep your
profile private from anyone not on your friends list. These built-in features can also block
any friend/follower requests and you can report any inappropriate posts or behaviour.
Don’t be afraid to use these tools, they are there for your benefit.

‘Likes, Streaks and Retweets’

Now I understand that we all want to be popular with our friends and increasingly, a good
way of showing how popular we are is by the number of reactions we get to the things that
we post on social media platforms. The more competitive amongst us might even see these
numbers as a challenge.

On Facebook and Instagram it’s ‘likes’ on Snapchat it’s a ‘streak’ and on Twitter its ‘retweets’
and all of these functions have their place.

The difficulty here is that these numbers can become a pressure if we’re not careful and
some people can even become obsessed with it all. For instance, if I put up a post and get
twenty ‘likes’ I might think that I’m popular, so does that mean if I put up a post and get zero
‘likes’ that I’m unpopular? No, of course not!

There are many reasons why a post doesn’t get a reaction, such as the time of day it goes
on, or how many other posts there were at a similar time or the fact that none of my friends
were on that particular social network when I posted and it was missed.

If you said something you thought was amusing in your real life and none of your friends
reacted you’d probably just forget it and move forward. Well it’s the same on the internet,
not everyone can like everything.

14 NOW NETIQUETTE

Good Rules to Remember

Don’t communicate with anonymous or unrecognisable screen names.
Never answer a message or e-mail that asks you for personal information or your
full/part password(s).
If you click a link on social media for a quiz, information or a video do not proceed if you’re
asked to confirm that the provider can access your personal information or post as you in
return.
Never use another person’s mobile phone, computer or gaming console without permission
and never post on social media pretending to be anyone else. If you do logon to one of your
accounts on someone else’s device, ensure that you properly logoff afterwards and every
time.
Never let anyone post on your social media pages pretending to be you and if you think
someone has posted as you, change all of your passwords immediately.
Don’t give personal information to anyone that you haven’t met in the real world.
Never share your passwords with anyone, even your best friends.
Always use secure passwords and never reuse the same one or use the same password
for every account you have.
Be mindful about what you post about yourself and about others online. Take a second to
imagine how you would feel if you saw the post.
If you receive an upsetting or threatening message on your phone, by e-mail, whilst gaming
or on social media tell your significant adult or your teacher straight away.
Never send someone an upsetting or threatening message under any circumstances.

NOW NETIQUETTE 15

You & Your Reputation

This is a pretty tough area to talk about because I know how tempting it can be to use swear
words to make your point, especially if you’re annoyed or upset.

The truth is that people upset us and we upset other people all the time and even in our real
lives we might get so angry or frustrated that we use bad language. By the way, what I mean
by bad language are words that you generally wouldn’t want to say to a grandparent.

I know that all of the adults in your life have probably already told you not to swear on the
internet, but why? Did they ever explain?

Ok, well here are three good reasons - read them, discuss them and then see if you can
create a compelling argument against them.

a) When you swear you know it’s the wrong thing to do, but you do it anyway. Swearing has
a negative impact on the person that the word(s) is aimed at and affects your reputation.

b) Most intelligent adults will tell you that using a swear word instead of explaining how
you feel is a cop-out where language is concerned. So, every time you swear instead of
articulating with real words, you put off the day that you become capable of expressing
yourself properly when you’re feeling emotional.

c) Swearing shows other people that you have a lack of self-control and the more you use
swear words, the more you’ll need to use swear words to get your point across.
Why? Because eventually the words themselves will lose meaning and you’ll need to find
and use worse and worse swear words to make yourself heard.

Tell you what, here’s another thing for you to do;
Open your Instagram or Snapchat or whatever social media platform you most regularly use
and look down the posts without anyone else seeing, even if the person sitting next to you
is one of your friends on the site.
Now stop at the first swear words you spot – keep looking, trust me, they’re on there.

Right, assuming it’s not your post you’ve stopped on, how does it make you feel?
Amused? Excited? Frightened maybe? Appalled?

I bet if you took a survey amongst the people you’re with right now, they’d all give you a
different reaction and that’s why you shouldn’t post any swear words.

What? How do you mean? I hear you cry.

16 NOW NETIQUETTE

Well, remember I said that everything you post on the internet should be thought of as
permanent? And how everything can potentially be accessed, saved and/or shared?

You see the thing is, that this all forms part of that Total Internet Profile (TIP) we talked
about and gives other people an idea of who you are.

Ok, you’re not convinced, so how about this;
You’re playing sport and you meet a new friend. You really hit it off and you arrange to meet
the next day at lunch. Only your new friend doesn’t show up and you end up finding them to
ask why. It turns out that your new friend told their Mum about you and being a responsible
adult she viewed your profile on a social media site you shared with your new friend and uh
oh, you’ve been swearing with your mates. Your new friend doesn’t seem too bothered, but
they’re not as enthusiastic about you as they were, plus the Mum I told you about is busy
telling other parents what she knows about you.

Your reputation is about to take a nose-dive.

Talking of what to post and what not to post, it’s never acceptable to post anything that can
be interpreted as remotely sexual in any way.

You may be proud of your body and probably rightly so, but that doesn’t mean that anyone
else wants to see a picture. I mean you wouldn’t take a picture of yourself in the mirror, print
off ten thousand copies and start giving them to your friends and people in the street would
you? No, that would be daft – your body is private and it should be kept that way.

#*#$%!! Oh no!

NOW NETIQUETTE 17

Reputation

/rɛpjʊˈteɪʃ(ə)n/

Definition:
noun: reputation

– the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.

In the not too distant past, reputations were built on mostly actions. Take Tim Berners-Lee for
instance, his reputation as a well respected and successful scientist is indisputable.

Today, with his invention in full flow, reputation includes what a person says on the internet,
especially when they’re young like you.

Later on, when you’ve become a Doctor of Philosophy at Cambridge University your reputation
as an academic will be unquestionable, but right now the person that you are and the beliefs
that people hold about you, are a bit up in the air. Sure, people probably describe you as a
hard worker or brilliant mental mathematician, or maybe a superb sportsperson. But for most
of us such accolades are few and far between and we have to live with other people’s vague
notions of us. I’m not suggesting that you start a campaign to gain a brilliant reputation by the
way, I’m only suggesting that you don’t say anything to tarnish yours before people have got
to know the real you.

Your posts on social media, texts, e-mails, youtube comments, gaming interplay all go toward
your reputation and if you behave properly, as you would expect people to behave toward
you, then your reputation will remain intact.

Plus, one day you’ll be looking for a job. At your interview you’ll tell your future employer what
an amazing person you are and how, if they give you a chance, you’ll be more than capable of
helping them send that first passenger flight to Mars. As part of the selection process, your
future employer might look you up on the internet to see what kind of person you are and to
try and work out whether you’ll fit in to their team. Luckily for you, you’ll have followed all the
tips and hints in this book and they’ll believe every word you’ve told them because they’ll be
able to see for themselves that it’s all true – you really are a super hero!

18 NOW NETIQUETTE

You & Your Reputation ACTIVITY

SITUATION You read a post on Instagram, posted by a classmate saying that you ‘fancy’
a boy or girl in your class

YOUR POSITIVE ACTION MIGHT BE; YOUR NEGATIVE ACTION MIGHT BE;

POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES; POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES;

REPUTATION CHANGE? REPUTATION CHANGE?

SITUATION You receive a text message from a classmate to let you know that another boy/girl has
been talking about you in a negative way

YOUR POSITIVE ACTION MIGHT BE; YOUR NEGATIVE ACTION MIGHT BE;

POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES; POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES;

REPUTATION CHANGE? REPUTATION CHANGE?

SITUATION You watch a video on youtube telling you about a new craze which involves creating your
own ‘tag’ and spray painting it on as many buildings as possible in your town

YOUR POSITIVE ACTION MIGHT BE; YOUR NEGATIVE ACTION MIGHT BE;

POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES; POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES;

REPUTATION CHANGE? REPUTATION CHANGE?

NOW NETIQUETTE 19

You & Internet Safety

Did you know that there is a legal age to open many online and app accounts;
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Google+, Tumbir, Reddit, Pinterest – 13 years old
WhatsApp – 16 years old
x-box live, Playstation, Network, Qriocity – 18 years old – users under this age must have
their account linked to an adult’s Microsoft/Sony account. Children under 7 years old
should not have any access.
Youtube, Flickr, Keek – 18 years old (or 13 years old with express permissions from a parent
or guardian)
Smartphone – whilst there is no legally recognised lower age limit to owning a smartphone,
the average age as I write is 10.3 years old. It is worth noting however, that Mr Bill Gates,
the brains behind the Microsoft Corporation and one of most successful business people
on the planet didn’t let his kids have a smartphone until they were 14 years old. He justified
this by quoting the argument that kids shouldn’t be given a smartphone until they’re in high
school and then only after they have demonstrated that they can exercise restraint and
understand the value of face-to-face communication – he seems like a smart man to me.

20 NOW NETIQUETTE

Parental Control

It’s not always easy for parents, guardians and/or responsible adults to attempt to control
your use of your phone, your social media accounts, your youtube video intake and your
gaming time. In fact, if you can honestly say that you and your responsible adult haven’t had
a disagreement about it this week you’re doing very well.

The problem is that the very fact that you have all of this technology at your fingertips makes
you feel like an adult already, but there are people, videos, opinions, bullies and all sorts of
negativity that you don’t want to see or interact with.

Take the pressure off yourself and hand the responsibility to your Mum, Dad or responsible
adult.

Give them access to your phone, laptop or tablet and let them download parental controls
for you. Let them have the login details for your social media accounts and let them see your
history on youtube, etc.

Why?

Simple - because it’s the right thing to do for you to keep safe on the internet. Plus of course,
if they know what you’re doing, they’re much less likely to hassle you about it all the time.

Time & Usage

Give yourself plenty of breaks. I know it seems tempting to battle the galaxy on your x-box
until you’ve absolutely, definitely killed every alien out there, but it won’t do your eyes or your
brain very much good along the way.

If you need a scientific reason: you have something called a prefrontal cortex, it’s the part of
your brain that controls impulse. This biological marvel doesn’t finish developing until you’re
well into your twenties and research has indicated that an overexposure to technology,
especially smartphones can dull your impulses.

If you need a non-scientific reason: your body is equipped with excellent communication tools
of its own and if you get out and about in the real world you’ll end up a more rounded and
interesting individual – honest!

NOW NETIQUETTE 21

Parental Control ACTIVITY (with parents)

This is an activity for both you and your parents/guardians/significant adults

Firstly, in your classroom answer the pupil questions.
Then take this book home and ask your parents/guardians/significant adults to answer the
corresponding question.

Once both sides have been completed discuss your answers and any differences with parents/
guardians/significant adults.

Complete the activity by giving an overview of the discussion on page 40.
List any changes that you and your parents/guardians/significant adults might make in the
future including a timescale for any change.

Finally, you and your parents/guardians/significant adults should sign-off your discussion on
page 40 and return it to your classroom ready for the next part of Netiquette.

How much time (in hours) do you spend each day Pupil Answer Parent Answer
playing games?
Hours Hours

Do you feel that you spend too much time playing YES | NO YES | NO
games? YES | NO YES | NO

Do you have x-box live or similar?

Are there any guidelines in place to help you keep YES | NO YES | NO
safe? If yes: what are they?

How much time (in hours) do you spend each week Hours Hours
surfing the internet?
YES | NO YES | NO
Do you feel that you spend too much time surfing
the internet? YES | NO YES | NO

Which sites do you visit most often?

Do you have any parental control software/options
active on your device? If yes: which one’s?

22 NOW NETIQUETTE

Parental Control ACTIVITY (with parents)

How much time (in hours) do you spend each day Pupil Answer Parent Answer
using your mobile phone?
Hours Hours

Do you feel that you spend too much time on your YES | NO YES | NO
phone? YES | NO YES | NO

Do you use it to access social media platforms?

Do you have any parental control software/options YES | NO YES | NO
active on your phone? If yes: which one’s?

Do you have a password set on any of your devices? YES | NO YES | NO
If yes, which devices?
YES | NO YES | NO
Do your parents/guardians/significant adults know YES | NO YES | NO
your passwords? YES | NO YES | NO

Do you think that they should know your passwords
and be able to see what you’re doing online?

Do you have any anti-virus software downloaded to
your devices? If yes, which devices?

Have you ever felt uncomfortable online? YES | NO YES | NO
YES | NO YES | NO
Did you discuss the incident with your parents/
guardians/significant adults? YES | NO YES | NO

Do you think your parents/guardians/significant
adults would be able to help if you were being bullied
online? If no: What organisations exist in case you
needed help?

Please spend some time discussing your answers and any differences in your parents/
guardians/significant adults answers to the questions.
Now turn to page 40, write a short synopsis of the discussion highlighting:
a) Any differences of opinion, b) Any agreed changes in online behaviour,
and c) Any time-frames for change discussed.
Once completed ask your parents to sign page 40 and bring back to class.

NOW NETIQUETTE 23

You & Internet Security

Every time you open a new account on an internet site or social media platform you will be
asked for a username and password. Often the username they ask for is your e-mail address,
but if it’s not choose one that’s memorable for you, but might be difficult for others to guess.

Your password on the other hand should be impossible to guess and different for every
account that you use. I know it sounds like a lot to remember, but if you follow some simple
rules you should be ok.

First use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols and then simply adjust the password
for each account.

For instance, you might create a random set like this;
D*56net1que££e

You can then use that as your base password which you commit to memory. After all,
remembering one complicated password is better than trying to remember dozens of different
simple one’s.

Then for each new account you can add an identifier such as;
Facebook: D*56net1que££eface
Twitter: D*56net1que££etwit
Youtube: D*56net1que££eyou

Get the idea? By adding the identifier, the password is then
unique to each different account.

Here are a few more tips;

Only ever tell your significant adult your password - don’t tell another soul, not even
your very best friend.

Always log-out of each account, even if it’s on your smartphone – you definitely
don’t want anyone else posting anything on the internet under your name.

Never respond to an e-mail or message from anyone asking you for details of your
password.

24 NOW NETIQUETTE

You & Internet Security ACTIVITY

The security of your connection and also your personal security on your devices and whilst
you’re online is very important.

Here’s an example of a strong username and password;
USERNAME: Tr1pplex54 PASSWORD: ar*t8Mat&c41

List ten different platforms or websites that a username and password might be required.
Comparing yours against the example above decide whether your username and password for
the platform you’ve given as an example is weak (w), medium (m) or strong (s) in your opinion.
(DO NOT LIST YOUR OWN PASSWORD!)

Platfo rm or w ebsite Platform or website W/M/S
1 W/M/S 6 W/M/S
2 W/M/S 7 W/M/S
3 W/M/S 8 W/M/S
4 W/M/S 9 W/M/S
5 W / M / S 10

List six main components of a strong username and password

14
25
36

Discuss five different situations that could arise if someone else guessed your username and
password for your favourite social media platform.

Possible Action by third party Consequence

NOW NETIQUETTE 25

You & Internet Spending

So you’ve opened your social media accounts, set your username and password, got all your
friends sorted into groups and loaded your smartphone with apps, so what’s next?
Shopping and banking of course!
The internet isn’t just a brilliant communication tool, packed with information you can use to
write brilliant, thought inspiring essays, it’s also a place where you can spend, spend, spend!
You’ll pick up financial risk without even realising it. Maybe you need coins or tokens for a
game you’re playing or maybe you just want to get onto the next level of your favourite game
to achieve world domination. The game says, “click here” to make your dreams come true and
hey presto it works! Trouble is, that in order for your significant adult to open the account for
you, they had to pre-load their credit card information and guess what? That’s right, you just
cost them money!
Best thing is to always check before you click – every time.
Shopping is less dangerous because you won’t tend to do that without the help of your
significant adult, unless of course you have a bank account of your own.
The lower age limit for a current bank account, you know the one where you get a card to
spend your money with, is 11 years old. The card you receive is fully functional at cash-points,
shops and on the internet. You can even load the details onto your smartphone and use an
app to complete purchases.
That all sounds great, but there is an issue here – security.

26 NOW NETIQUETTE

There are people out there determined to steal your money from your account and all they
need is your card number, expiry date and the three digit security code from the back of your
card and they can spend whatever they want to – or at least as much as you’ve got in your
account. Criminals routinely send out e-mails, instant messages, create social media pages all
designed to get your information.

So, the best thing is to never give out the details from your card to anyone, even if they sound
like they’re from your bank. Plus, never tell anyone your secret PIN code that you use at the
ATM.

Banks are generally moving the bulk of their activities from high street branches to the
internet and as an account holder you will be asked to access their internet banking function
to keep track of your balance, download statements, ask questions, etc. Whilst this is a great
idea, it does give criminals another opportunity to steal your cash by fooling you into giving
them your login details. They usually do this by sending you an urgent message which looks
like it’s from your bank asking you to click a link and logon.

The messages look very genuine and it’s easy to be fooled.

If you do get a message like that and you think it might be genuine, don’t use the link they
sent you. Instead, logon in your usual way using a new internet page or your banking app if
it’s on your smartphone.

Never give your login details including any characters from your password to anyone, no
matter who they are. If in doubt, check with your significant adult first.

There is one more thing you can do to keep
yourself safe online and that’s to download an
internet security package from someone like
Norton or Kaspersky. These programmes kill
computer viruses and also weed out spam
e-mails and messages.

NOW NETIQUETTE 27

You & Internet Spending ACTIVITY

Many companies, institutions and services are choosing online platforms
rather than face-to-face interaction to create transactions.

List six benefits of using online platforms to the company/service provider;

14
25
36

List six benefits of using online platforms to the consumer/customer;

14
25
36

List ten ways of spending money online detailing the activity, the frequency and cost -
indicating whether the cost is fixed (F) or varied (V).

1 Twitch subscription Monthly F/V 6 F/V
2 F/V 7 F/V
3 F/V 8 F/V
4 F/V 9 F/V
5 F / V 10 F/V

List five ways that a transaction could go wrong and discuss the remedy;

Situation Remedy
1
2
3
4
5

List three indicators that an e-commerce website is genuine;

1
2
3

28 NOW NETIQUETTE

You & Internet Spending ACTIVITY

You are an e-commerce entrepreneur and you’ve just launched your first website featuring
your new training shoe brand - amazingtrainers.com
List the features you’ll need to display on your homepage and create how it might look here.
Remember, it’s not only the goods and services you’ll need to display, but also the internet
security features too.

NOW NETIQUETTE 29

You & Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying

/ˈsʌɪbəˌbʊlɪɪŋ/
Definition:
noun: cyberbullying
– the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending
messages of an intimidating, frightening or abusive nature.
Most people at some point in their lives have been affected by bullying - sometimes as a
victim, sometimes as the friend of a victim and sometimes as the perpetrator.
Common forms of cyberbullying can include;
Harassment – This is the act of sending offensive, rude, and insulting messages and being
abusive. This can include making nasty or humiliating comments on posts, on photos and
in chat rooms. Harassment also extends to being explicitly offensive on gaming sites about
another players’ ability.
Denigration – This is when someone may send information or gossip about another person
that is fake, damaging and untrue. Denigration also includes sharing photos of someone for
the purpose of ridicule.
Flaming – This is when someone is purposefully using extreme and offensive language and
getting into online arguments and fights. They do this to get a reaction and often enjoy the
fact their behaviour can cause distress.
Impersonation – This is when someone will hack into an e-mail or social networking account
and use the person’s online identity to send or post vicious or embarrassing material to/
about others. The making up of fake profiles on social network sites, apps and online are
commonplace and it can be really difficult to get them closed down.

30 NOW NETIQUETTE

Outing and Trickery – This is when someone may share sensitive information about another
person that may not want a particular fact about them widely known. They may do this by
tricking someone into revealing secrets and then forwarding or sharing the information.
Cyber Stalking – This is the act of repeatedly sending messages that include threats of harm,
harassment, intimidation, or engaging in other online activities that make a person afraid for
his or her safety. These actions can often be illegal and can lead to prosecution.
Exclusion – This is when others intentionally leave someone out of a group such as group
messaging, online apps, gaming sites and other online engagement. This is also a form of
social bullying and is very common.
Unfortunately, this is not an exhaustive list.

NOW NETIQUETTE 31

You and Cyberbullying ACTIVITY

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers,
and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, text and apps, or online in social media,
forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying
includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or cruel content about someone
else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing
embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal
behaviour.
List 10 places where cyberbullying might take place;

16
27
38
49
5 10

List 3 different ways that cyberbullying is different to face-to-face bullying – in each case
detail the difference with an example;

1

2

3

32 NOW NETIQUETTE

You and Cyberbullying ACTIVITY

A friend of yours has posted a picture of him/herself on a social media site. There have been
some comments made on the picture, mostly positive. However one or two comments are
rude, personally insulting and negative.

List three possible ways that your friend could react to the comments and detail the possible
consequences of his/her reaction.

1

1

1

List six different ways of reporting an instance of cyberbullying;

14
25
36

If you became a victim of cyberbullying what would you do?
List five different examples, detail what your reaction might be and discuss the consequences;

Example Your Action Consequence

NOW NETIQUETTE 33

You & Keeping Control

The best idea if you feel as though you’re being bullied is to tell your significant adult or your
teacher the very first time it happens - or at least as quickly as possible.
Don’t keep it to yourself - believe me, it’s ok to speak up.
The internet and the help it gives you to communicate over different media is incredible,
however if you encounter a bully the technology can feel as though it’s working against you.
Imagine for a second that you’re being bullied in the playground, there are certain strategies
you can adopt including seeking refuge with a teacher or by trying to keep a distance between
you and the bully.
However, that’s more difficult if the bully is online as you can be literally carrying them around
in your pocket.
Don’t be afraid to block their number, unfriend them on all of your social media accounts and
make sure your privacy settings exclude them from contacting you or seeing your posts.
The best way to deal with a bully is to report them and then ignore them.
www.internetmatters.org has some great advice;
If you experience cyberbullying or see any bullying of others tell your significant adult as soon
as you can.
If you feel that you are being bullied online, tell your significant adult whether it’s a continuation
of bullying you’re already experiencing in your real life, perhaps at school or elsewhere.
Don’t retaliate in any way that’s angry, offensive or threatening - you might feel sad, afraid
or alone, but if you tell your significant adult what’s happening they will be able to sort it out
for you.

34 NOW NETIQUETTE

Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of becoming a cyberbully yourself.
Never post anything offensive about anyone, even if they are outside your group of friends.
Never repost, retweet, save or forward anything offensive about anyone - if you see any posts
that are offensive report them either through the social media site that you see them on, or
by visiting www.thinkuknow.co.uk and using the online tools.
Do not post anything in anger and never threaten anybody in any way.
Do not swear at your friends or about other people in your posts and never repost content
that includes swear words.
Think carefully before you tag or share an image or video. Would the person/people in the
content be happy if it was shared? The best thing to do is to ask them first.
Think first before you make any comments on a post – will this post or the comments you
make potentially hurt another person or their feelings? If the answer is maybe, don’t comment.
Don’t forget that your gaming device is also part of your Total Internet Profile (TIP) and
bullying can happen there too. Remember, if the banter with your friends makes you feel
uncomfortable, tell your significant adult the first time you feel like that and every time
afterwards.
If you see bullying online don’t just sit back and watch, tell someone.

NOW NETIQUETTE 35

You & Cyberslang

One of the ways that cyberbullying can go undetected is by using vocabulary that
adults don’t recognise. This is a common theme, especially across social networks
and it is evolving all of the time as people find new ways to disguise their behaviour
and activity.
Here are some examples - you might know many more and if you do write them
down in the box on page 37 with their meanings so that they’re not a secret.

Happy Slapping: Physical assaults usually recorded on a mobile phone and sent to
others as text messages or social media videos
Exclusion: Intentionally excluding someone from an online or gaming group
Basic: Boring, uninteresting and lame
Paw: Parents are watching
Pos: Parents over shoulder
Air/Pir: Adult in room/Parent in room
Umfriend: Intimate partner
Bye Felecia: A dismissive term when you want someone to go away
Sugarpic: Suggestive or erotic image of yourself
Taw: Teachers are watching
CD9: Code nine (parents or teachers around)
143: I love you
Zerg: To gang up on someone
Gnoc: Get naked on camera

36 NOW NETIQUETTE

List your own Cyberslang Examples with explanations

Cyberslang Explanation

Diaf: Die in a fire GAS 2U!
53x: Sex DQMOT, BSF IDK WCA
Asl: Age, sex, location 2TXT W/LOA.
Aslp: Age, sex, location, picture IYO, ITS EZ &PDQ... IDTS.
Dm: Direct message IMHO, ARE =ADIH. TBH,
Dmmgh: Don’t make me get hostile FUBAR &2M2H. GIAR,
Gal: Get a life PLZ! KISS.
Kpc: Keeping parents clueless .02
Lmirl: Let’s meet in real life
NOW NETIQUETTE 37

Resources

For more information and further research please review the following resources;

Government
www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying
www.nhs.uk/livewell/bullying/pages/bullyinghome.aspx
www.ncb.org.uk/node/202

Nonprofit Organisations

www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying/
childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/types-bullying
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/shop-safely-online
www.internetmatters.org/issues/online-reputation/
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/need-advice/digital-footprint/
www.microsoft.com/en-us/digital-skills/online-safety/
www.cybersmile.org
www.bullying.co.uk
kidscape.org.uk
ditchthelabel.org
www.familylives.org.uk
childnet.com
mencap.org.uk
https://www.netlingo.com/word/cyberslang.php
https://www.top10bestantivirus.com/best-internet-security

38 NOW NETIQUETTE

You & The Internet

So, that’s it! You’re armed and ready with all the information you need to have a wonderful
and life-long relationship with the internet.
If you follow the advice in Now Netiquette you’ll feel safe on social media, you’ll know how
to act when you’re posting online and you’re now an expert with internet safety and bullying.
If you’re still hungry for knowledge, visit these sites to find out even more;
www.barneyecho.co.uk
www.thinkuknow.co.uk
www.internetmatters.org
www.bullying.co.uk

NOW NETIQUETTE 39

Parental Control DISCUSSION

Review pages 22 and 23
Write a short synopsis of your discussion with your parent/guardian/significant adult
highlighting:
a) Any differences of opinion
b) Any agreed changes in online behaviour
c) Any time-frames for change discussed

40 NOW NETIQUETTE

NOTES

NOW NETIQUETTE 41

Now Netiquette

Published by: Community Initiatives Associates RRP
Web: www.communityinitiatives.co.uk
Address: 25 Egerton Street, Chester CH1 3ND £9.00
Telephone: 0800 783 5805
UK & NIRL
Print by CUSTOM PRINT
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ISBN: 978-1-5272-2401-8