Lesson 2: Protecting Online Reputations

Essential Question:

How can you respect the privacy of others online?

Key Vocabulary:

• digital footprint: all the information online about a person either posted by that person or others, intentionally or unintentionally
• digital reputation: what people think about you based on what they see online (social media, public information, photos, etc.)
• sharenting: posting comments or photos of children on social media that show excessive or sensitive details about their lives

Think About:

• There can be consequences when you post pictures or information about others online. And those consequences can be long-term. That's why all of us have a responsibility to make sure that we think about other people's privacy and reputations before we post.
• How can we make sure that we take this responsibility seriously? What questions can we ask ourselves before posting something, to protect the reputations of others?

Consider:

Review and analyze the scenario below.

Alex and Joran are good friends. One day when they're hanging out after school, as a joke, Joran decides to carve profanity into the sign out front that shows the school name. Alex takes a picture of Joran doing it, tags him, and shares it on social media. Aimee and Max, a couple of friends on social media, see it. Aimee responds with "haha" and a thumbs-up emoji, and Max adds a surprised-face emoji.

A few days later, Alex and Joran get called to see Ms. Varma, the principal, who shows them the photo on her screen. They don't know how she saw the photo. She tells them that Joran will be expelled from school and Alex will be suspended for three days. Alex serves his suspension and returns to school. Joran is forced to find a new school, which ends up being far from his home and a place where he doesn't know any other students.

One perspective. Notice your gut reaction. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with the punishments that Alex and Joran received? Why?

Two perspectives. Identify two people who are part of the scenario or could be affected by it. Possible individuals include Alex or Joran, Ms. Varmas, Aimee or Max, a parent at the school, or another student at the school. Think about what their perspectives might be.

Consider: What might this person's emotional response be? What might be important to this person? What are two reasons why they might have acted as they did OR two reactions they might have to the situation.

Watch:

Reflect on the video:

• Posting online about your children is something many parents do, and has a lot of benefits. However, there is some debate about the potential consequences it can have.
• What are the upsides and downsides to sharing posts, photos, and videos of children online?
• This debate does not just apply to parents and caregivers. It applies to everyone, because anytime you post a photo that includes someone else, or you tag someone in a post, you're adding to that person's digital footprint.

Review:

• What questions can you ask before posting to make sure you are protecting the online reputations of others? List at least two.

Lesson 3