If we haven’t heard it once, we have heard it a hundred times;
Think before you post.
Pause before you send.
Both statements are absolutely true. It’s my opinion that when we are thinking we are usually still typing and clicking since the average person is double or triple tasking.
Tell me I’m wrong?
With pause, we usually will actually stop. Review what we have typed and then decide to send or publish.
Yes, PAUSING before sending is probably safer than thinking – but we shouldn’t give-up on thinking too.
Let’s face it, most of us have sent an email to a wrong recipient and hit the panic button in our heads – when we realized it went to the wrong “Sue” in our address book. When it happens – you swear – from that day forward you will be checking and double checking that email bar….
But several months go by and you are slacking again. Don’t — this is something that we must be diligent about 365 days a year.
Or if a spell check doesn’t pick up a word that has two meanings and one of them definitely doesn’t belong in your email to a business associate. Yes, it happens. Learn to use PAUSE as well as thinking – it could save you many potential embarrassing moments.
Recently I contributed an article for Connect Safely for Internet Safety Month. “Are You A Parent or Sharent?” which I shared with them my acronym of P.A.U.S.E.
P – Picture yourself in that photo, not your child. Is this something that can be embarrassing or humiliating at a later date or does it reveal too much information? If so, it is likely your child wouldn’t want that picture published.
A – Ask permission of those who are in the photo before posting it. Be respectful when posting pictures of others, including friends of your children.
U – Understand there is no rewind or delete key once it is posted. The Internet can be unforgiving.
S – Share other people’s photos, especially your own child, with respect. Never assume they have given you permission unless they have.
E – Exercise digital citizenship: Use your privacy settings (checking them frequently), never post to shame others, be kind online as you would offline, and if you are having a bad day – click off.
Implement your PAUSE key today!
