You're on Facebook one day when you receive an invite to join a group. You're excited to have been invited until you realize the name of the group is Hanson Hater. is the name of a s at your school who is socially awkward and struggles with his school work. You're uncomfortable with the name of the group but are just happy it's not your name the other kids used in the title so you decide to join. A couple of the posts make you laugh and you like them but the more you scroll, the more cruel the posts become and the more uncomfortable you get. You decide not to post anything and close the Facebook app. You ignore the group and avoid Hanson at school.
Then, one day you realize Hanson hasn't been at school for a few days. A couple of more days go by and you learn that Hanson has attempted suicide. Your stomach churns as you realize he must have learned about the Facebook group and what's worse is that you were part of that group. You laughed, liked posts, and what's even more unforgivable is that you didn't tell an adult or try to stand up for or comfort Hanson. The guilt of what you have done weighs heavy on you and you wish you could take it all back.
Cyberbullying is a growing problem in our world. Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online. Almost the same number of teens say that they have bullied someone on the Internet. More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online. Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
While experts agree that teens must be educated on how to stop cyberbullying, several innovators have invented ways to make the web a kinder place. Follow the links below to learn about 4 innovative programs!
Google Docs and the commenting feature in Google Docs are powerful tools for learning but unfortunately some students have found ways to disrespect and hurt others with these tools. Design a code of conduct for every student to follow while on Google docs and other tools used for learning. Create a video or other form of media to teach others your code of conduct. Use this checklist and the resources and tools below to help you.
TOOLS
Piktochart
Canva
Haiku Deck
Google Slides
YouTube Video Editor
Stupeflix
Upload your code of conduct creation to your teacher for review. Ultimately, you'll be presenting your code of conduct to the class for feedback and as a way to make a collaborative class code of conduct.