In this unit I learned lots about my behavior online. I realised the impact my actions can have on members of our community. The simple action of commenting on a post can cause others to feel attacked and excluded. By being respectful online I will make people happier and they will feel better about themselves.
Empathy
Since learning about the impacts that empathy can have, I have been careful to be empathetic when commenting and chatting online. Being empathetic can be hard sometimes, which is why I hardly ever comment online. The reason I don’t comment is because I feel as though my comment could be twisted so that it sounds different. The comments I do occasionally make, are usually positive because I try to not comment negatively. Sometimes I will get the occasional comment on a post that isn’t positive. I find that the best way to deal with these types of comments is to not retaliate and ignore the comment.
Critical Thinking
When we are online we need to understand that many things that go on have more depth than we think. A simple post many have a deeper meaning. The media tries to twist words to create drama, and anger. We need to think about what goes on behind the picture, how it the person acting and feeling. How will my actions hurt others? Will my mean comment make someone do something irrational? When we are talking online, we tend to stray away from our normal personalities as we don’t actually see the persons reaction to what we say, or do. By knowing that some things can be misunderstood and that words can be twisted, we can make sure that we don’t believe everything that is online.
Respect
We as a society have different views on respect. Some people believe you need to earn respect, while others give respect to everyone. Regardless of this opinion, people online don’t respect others opinions, as much as we do in person. By respecting other peoples opinions we can build relation ships, and make friends. Respect, is to understand others opinions and beliefs and to agree, or disagree nicely.
Responsibility
Being responsible online is really important, it can mean that people don’t get hurt, and it can have an impact on others behaviors. By being a bystander, we let things happen that could have been prevented. If someone is being cyber bullied, we need to confront the bully, or talk to an adult. The reason we should all be responsible online, is so that peers feel better about themselves, and feel as though they can talk to someone. By simply listening to other opinions, we can agree or disagree peacefully.