Technology is a tool to improve our lives not to just escape life. Here are 8 different rules to teach your kids about how to live online without harming your offline world.
Use Tech to Live Life Not Avoid It
- Learn when to turn off technology (like during meals, conversations and in the evenings, not tech after 9pm.).
- Become disciplined in your ability to “not use” technology. Don’t just choose it every time you are bored.
- Master apps that help with time management, productivity, note taking, etc… not just games, social media or texting.
Remember to Help Not Hurt Others
- Don’t make critical comments of others via text, email, chat or social media. When in doubt talk it out with the person that frustrates you.
- Focus on spreading the positive about others not the negative.
- Don’t talk or gossip about negative texts or images of others with your friends.
Keep Private Things Private
- Don’t record audio, videos or take pictures of others without their permission.
- Don’t spread negative pictures or stories of others that might hurt or embarrass them.
- Don’t ask for from others or send sexy or inappropriate pictures of yourself to others online.
Always Put Safety First
- Don’t give away passwords to friends or people you’ve met online.
- Don’t give out information to people you don’t know face to face.
- Don’t meet people whom you’ve only met online.
Don’t Bully Others
- Don’t repost announcements or pictures about parties and activities that you know your other friends weren’t invited to attend.
- Don’t “Like” or forward embarrassing photos of others in order to hurt their feelings.
- Don’t pretend to be someone else online, even if you’re only doing it as a joke.
Lead Don’t Follow
- Stand up for others who are being treated unfairly.
- Repost things that you are proud of and are aligned to your values and principles.
- Don’t just repost to repost, remember that people are watching.
Show Respect Through Tech
- Don’t use chat, text, FB or other tools to avoid verbally talking with others.
- Turn off your phones and talk to the people in your life, don’t be rude by constantly checking your phones.
- Respond immediately to texts/emails from family and parents and keep them at the top of the list in your communication.
- Don’t talk on phones in front of other people. Nobody wants to hear you yapping.
Slow The Flow
- Actively delete mean or humiliating pictures/posts sent to you by others.
- Unsubscribe yourself from lists or groups that you know are mean or not aligned to your values.
- Take technology breaks consistently throughout the day, week and month. Even undertake regular fasts where you turn your technology off for 24 hours.