Communication Ethic (Including Social Media)

COMMUNICATION ETHICS ( (Including Social Media)

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people.

We communicate every day.

For example:

🗣️ Talking to friends.

👨‍👩‍👧 Talking to our parents.

👩‍🏫 Asking teachers questions.

💬 Sending messages through WhatsApp.

🎮 Talking with friends while playing online games.

📱 Commenting on social media.

Therefore, communication does not only happen through face-to-face conversations.

Communication ethics refers to the attitudes and rules that help us communicate politely, appropriately, and respectfully with others.

Simply put:

Communication ethics means using our words and behavior in a way that makes other people feel respected.

For example:

Inappropriate:

"Give me my book!"

Better:

"Could you please give me my book?"

Both sentences ask someone to give us a book.

However, the second sentence is more polite.

The way we speak can affect other people's feelings.

Good words can make people feel:

😊 Happy

🤝 Respected

❤️ Cared for

💬 Comfortable talking to us

On the other hand, rude words can make people feel:

😔 Sad

😡 Angry

😟 Embarrassed

💔 Hurt

Therefore:

Think about other people's feelings before you speak.

D. 7 Simple Rules for Good Communication

1. Use Polite Words

Get used to saying:

Example:

❌ "Get my book!"

✅ "Could you please get my book?"

2. Listen When Other People Are Speaking

When someone is talking to us:

👂 Listen.

👀 Pay attention.

🤫 Do not interrupt.

❓ Ask questions if you do not understand.

Avoid:

📱 Playing with your phone.

🙄 Looking away or ignoring them.

🗣️ Interrupting the conversation.

Remember:

Good communication is not only about being able to speak, but also about being able to listen.

3. Do Not Insult or Tease Others

Sometimes we think teasing is just a joke.

For example:

"Hey, you're so fat!"

"You're so short!"

"You're so stupid!"

We may think it is funny.

But the other person may feel:

😔 Sad

😡 Angry

😳 Embarrassed

💔 Hurt

Remember:

If your friend does not feel comfortable, it may not be a good joke.

4. Respect Different Opinions

Our friends do not have to have the same opinions as us.

For example:

You like football.

Your friend likes basketball.

You like a certain type of music.

Your friend likes different music.

That is okay.

When you have a different opinion, you can say:

"I have a different opinion."

or

"I understand your opinion, but I think..."

There is no need to say:

"Your opinion is stupid!"

5. Do Not Share Your Friend's Secrets

If a friend tells you something privately, do not immediately tell other people.

For example:

Your friend says:

"I'm having a problem at home. Please don't tell anyone."

Then you tell the whole class.

❌ That is not okay.

We should respect the trust our friends give us.

6. Be Brave Enough to Apologize

Everyone makes mistakes.

For example:

If we make a mistake:

Admit it → Apologize → Make it right

For example:

"I'm sorry. What I said earlier was too much. I shouldn't have said that."

Apologizing does not mean that we are weak.

Being willing to apologize shows that we are responsible.

7. Think Before You Speak

Before saying something, ask yourself:

T — True

Is it true?

H — Helpful

Is it helpful?

I — Important

Is it important to say?

N — Nice

Can I say it nicely?

K — Kind

Will it avoid hurting someone?

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!

E. Communication Ethics in Chat

Chatting may feel more casual than talking face-to-face.

However, we should still be polite.

Example of a good message to a teacher:

"Good afternoon, Ma'am. I am Rani from Grade 7B. May I ask whether the Science assignment is due tomorrow? Thank you, Ma'am."

Avoid:

❌ "Ma'am"

❌ "P"

❌ "Ma'am??"

❌ "What's the assignment?"

❌ Sending the same message many times.

❌ Using rude or disrespectful language.

F. Communication Ethics in Class Groups

A class group is a shared space.

Therefore, we should help keep it comfortable for everyone.

We can:

✅ Ask questions about assignments.

✅ Share school information.

✅ Have discussions.

✅ Remind friends about important information.

We should not:

❌ Spam the group.

❌ Send too many unnecessary messages.

❌ Insult classmates.

❌ Share someone's photo to embarrass them.

❌ Create unnecessary arguments.

❌ Share someone's private information.

Remember:

A class group is not a place to make someone feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

G. Social Media Ethics

Social media allows us to communicate with many people.

Examples include:

📱 Instagram

🎵 TikTok

🎮 Online gaming platforms

▶️ YouTube

💬 WhatsApp

Before posting or commenting, ask yourself:

"Would I still feel comfortable if my teacher or parents saw this?"

If not, think again before posting it.

H. Commenting on Social Media

Imagine that you upload a photo or video.

Someone comments:

"That's so ugly."

How would you feel?

😔

Now imagine someone comments:

"The video is good. Maybe the lighting could be a little brighter."

The second comment gives feedback without insulting anyone.

Remember:

Criticism is okay. Insulting people is not.

I. Jokes and Their Boundaries

Joking with friends can be fun.

However, jokes have limits.

Healthy jokes:

😂 Make everyone laugh.

❤️ Do not hurt anyone.

🤝 Do not embarrass anyone.

🛑 Stop when someone feels uncomfortable.

Unhealthy jokes:

❌ Making fun of someone's appearance.

❌ Insulting someone's family.

❌ Revealing someone's secrets.

❌ Using someone's weaknesses as a joke.

❌ Continuing to joke after someone asks you to stop.

Principle:

Joking is okay. Hurting people is not.

J. What Is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is the act of hurting, mocking, embarrassing, or disturbing someone through technology and the internet.

Examples include:

K. What Should We Do When We See Cyberbullying?

If you see a friend experiencing cyberbullying:

Do not:

❌ Join in.

❌ Like mean comments.

❌ Share the content.

❌ Laugh at the victim.

Instead:

✅ Do not spread the content.

✅ Support the person being bullied.

✅ Save evidence if necessary.

✅ Report inappropriate content.

✅ Tell a trusted adult.

For example:

👩‍🏫 Teacher

👨‍👩‍👧 Parent

🧑‍🏫 Homeroom teacher

L. Do Not Share Information Carelessly

Not every piece of information we receive needs to be shared.

For example, you receive a message:

"School is closed tomorrow! Share this with everyone!"

Do not immediately forward it.

Ask:

🔎 Who is the source?

📅 Is the information current?

🏫 Does it come from the school?

✅ Has it been confirmed?

Remember:

Information that goes viral is not always true.

M. Protect Privacy

Privacy means protecting personal information from being used carelessly.

Do not share:

🔐 Passwords

📞 Phone numbers

🏠 Home addresses

📍 Personal locations

🎫 Important personal information

📸 Other people's private photos without permission

Besides protecting our own privacy, we should also protect our friends' privacy.

N. Do Not Take and Share Screenshots Carelessly

Private conversations should not automatically be screenshotted and shared.

For example:

A friend sends you:

"I'm feeling sad because I have a problem with my family."

Then you take a screenshot and send it to the class group.

❌ That is not ethical.

Your friend trusted you.

Principle:

Not everything we know needs to be shared.

O. Digital Footprint

A digital footprint is the record or trace we leave when we use the internet.

Examples include:

📸 Photos we upload.

💬 Comments we write.

❤️ Likes we give.

🎥 Videos we create.

📢 Posts we share.

Even after a post is deleted, someone may have already:

Therefore:

Think before you post.

P. Case Study 1

"A Friend Being Teased"

During break time, several students make fun of a friend because of the way the friend speaks.

They say:

"The way you talk is so funny!"

The friend becomes quiet and looks sad.

Questions:

Q. Case Study 2

"A Comment on Social Media"

Doni uploads a video of himself playing football.

A friend comments:

"Your playing is so bad 😂."

Other friends then join in and make fun of him.

Questions:

R. Case Study 3

"A Message in the Class Group"

A student asks:

"Does anyone know the Math homework?"

Someone replies:

"That's why you should listen to the teacher!"

Some classmates then react with laughing emojis.

Discuss:

S. Self-Reflection

Answer honestly.

1. When I talk to my friends, do I use polite words?

....................................................................

2. Do I often interrupt other people when they are speaking?

....................................................................

3. Have I ever teased a friend and thought it was "just a joke"?

....................................................................

4. Have I ever written a comment that might hurt someone?

....................................................................

5. Do I respect my friends' secrets and privacy?

....................................................................

6. What is one communication habit I want to improve?

....................................................................

T. Reflection: "STOP – THINK – SPEAK"

From now on, before speaking or sending a message, I will:

STOP

Pause and do not react immediately.

THINK

Think about my words and their possible impact.

SPEAK

Communicate my message politely.

My commitment:

"Starting today, I will..."

....................................................................

....................................................................

U. 5 KEYS TO BECOMING A GREAT COMMUNICATOR

1. BE POLITE

Use kind and respectful words.

2. LISTEN

Pay attention when others are speaking.

3. RESPECT

Accept that people can have different opinions.

4. THINK

Think before speaking or posting.

5. BE RESPONSIBLE

Admit your mistakes and be willing to apologize.

V. Conclusion

Communication ethics helps us become better people when interacting with others.

Good communication means:

💬 Speaking politely.

👂 Listening carefully.

❤️ Respecting other people's feelings.

🤝 Respecting differences.

🔐 Protecting privacy.

📱 Using social media wisely.

🚫 Not participating in cyberbullying.

🧠 Thinking before speaking and posting.

🙏 Being willing to apologize when we make mistakes.

Remember:

"Use your words to build people up, not to bring them down."