Communication

Netiquette

Good manners for the internet: how to talk, share and behave well online.

1 Basic

What it means

Netiquette means good manners on the internet. The word joins "net" (internet) and "etiquette" (good manners). It is about how you write, what you share, and how you treat people you cannot see.

Why it matters

Online, people cannot see your face or hear your tone, so a small joke can feel like an insult. Posts can be saved, copied and shared forever. Good netiquette keeps friendships strong and keeps you and others safe.

2 Key concept

A story from the epics

Many people tell this story from the Mahabharata. In the magical palace the Pandavas built, the floor looked like water and the water looked like floor. Duryodhana slipped and fell into a pool. In the popular telling, Draupadi laughed and said, "The son of a blind man is also blind." Duryodhana never forgot those words. His anger grew and grew, and became one of the reasons for a terrible war.

This line is not in the oldest text, but the story is told everywhere because its lesson is clear: one careless joke can hurt deeply, and words cannot be taken back.

Source: Mahabharata, Sabha Parva. Draupadi's laugh and the words 'son of a blind man' come from popular retellings, not the oldest Sanskrit text.

A story from today

A common situation: someone in a class WhatsApp group posts a funny photo of a classmate who fell during sports day. Others add laughing emojis. The classmate feels ashamed, and the photo is shared outside the group. Good netiquette would have meant asking: would I like this if it were my photo?

What if...? Climb the question ladder

Each question leads to the next. Try to answer it yourself before you open it.

1What if it was only a joke?
A joke is only a joke if the other person laughs too. If they feel hurt, say sorry and delete it.
2What if everyone else in the group is doing it?
You can still choose not to join in. You can also send the hurt person a kind private message. That makes you an upstander.
3What if I delete my post? Is it gone?
Not always. Someone may have taken a screenshot. That is why it is better to pause before posting.
4What if someone is rude to me first?
You do not have to reply. You can mute, block or report them, and tell a trusted adult.

Try this

Before your next message or post, do the Pause Test: read it once as if you are the person receiving it. Would you say it to their face? If not, change it.

3 Go deeper

IM Lab books & programmes

Netiquette Programme booksBooks for Class 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12.
Communication at IM LabSpeak, write and listen clearly.

Workshops & cyber clubs

School cyber clubsMonthly club sessions in schools.
Simple habits for familiesFor parents and students together.

Related terms

CyberbullyingDigital FootprintPause Before PostingToneUpstander

All letters A to Z