Online Disinhibition and Cyberbullying

How does online disinhibition sometimes lead to cyberbullying?

Texting and chatting online can sometimes feel just like talking to someone in person, but it's actually pretty different. It's all because of something called the "online disinhibition effect," which makes us more likely to share or communicate differently from how we would in person. Help your students learn to consider this concept before they post, and stop digital drama and cyberbullying before they start.

Objectives:

• Define "online disinhibition" and describe how it can be both positive and negative.
• Explain how anonymity, lag time, and lack of nonverbal cues all contribute to online disinhibition.
• Analyze how online disinhibition can cause cyberbullying and brainstorm ways to counter it.

Vocabulary 

• cyberbullying 
• online disinhibition effect

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