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Social networking sites, chat rooms, email and cell phones are a fun part of life. However, this way of communicating has also made it easier to spread rumors and be cruel to others. Because they are not saying something to the other person’s face, kids often say things online that they later regret and would never say in real life. But it is important to keep in mind that once you post, there is no taking it back – even if you feel bad about it later. So before you send that hasty text message or cell phone photo spreading gossip or making fun of someone, consider this…

• Cell phones and texts allow rumors to move quickly, before the real facts of a situation can be found out. You don’t want  to be responsible for spreading something that is false – it can come back to bite you.
• If you see something you think is funny but could be embarrassing to someone else, consider how you would feel if you were on the other side before you whip out that cell phone camera. After all, everyone does embarrassing things  sometimes and it isn’t a good feeling to know that everyone at school is watching you with a cell phone camera just waiting for you to do something stupid.

Think about the consequences of what you say, text or post. You never know what may be going on inside of another person and the effect that your words could have on them. Many kids have transferred schools or even committed suicide to escape harassment. Remember that it is always best to treat others as you would like to be treated, even online. If you see cyberbullying going on, you can do something about it. Report cruel postings and mocking photos to MySpace, or whatever site you are on, and they will remove it without revealing that you were the one to report it. You can also talk to your parents or school officials about offensive postings. If the mean rumor or gossip is in an IM or text message or in a chat room, you can choose to delete the message…don’t forward it and don’t join in.

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