It seems our home has been struck by a technological revolution this Christmas.  Both my older daughters saved, trialed through months of doing chores without being asked, to earn the right to purchase an IPOD and smart phone.  They also received Kindles for Christmas.  I am so glad I stumbled upon these rules of electronic etiquette.

I copied and pasted this from a facebook post and would love to give credit to the original author but I cannot find her.  If you know who the author is, please let me know in the comments so I can give credit where credit is due…..And to thank her!  I have changed it up a bit, but it remains the same in spirit.  Please feel free to use and pass on.

Phone / IPOD Rules & Etiquette:

1.  It is my phone/IPOD as long as you are in my home, even if you bought it. Aren’t I the greatest?

2.  I will always know the password.  Give it to me on a piece of paper and I will keep it safe. If you change the password, let me know or lose the phone for a week.

3.  If it rings, and you are in a convenient place, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. However, do not allow this phone to rule your life.  Exception: Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.

4.  Turn it off, silence it, or put it away in public; especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.

5. Turn off phone promptly at 9:00 pm every school night & every weekend night. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30 am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.

6.  If you cannot respect Rule #5, then you will have to turn in your phone to me every night at 9pm and risk losing it.

7.  It does not go to school with you even though you homeschool.  When you have completed your work, you may use it.

8.  If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs.

9.  Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being.

10.  Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first and stay out of the crossfire.

11.  Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.

12.  No pornography.  If you have any questions about this, please ask.

13.  Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts. Don’t laugh. Someday you may be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear — including a bad reputation.

14.  Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos.  There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.

15.  Be careful of pictures you take of yourself, even if they seem harmless.  If you knew a picture would never go away and could end up on your pastor’s, employer’s, or Jesus’ desk; would you really want to hit send?

16.  Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO — fear of missing out.

17.  Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.

18.  Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then. It will keep your brain sharp.

19.  Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Wonder without googling.

20.  You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.  I love you.

Date:______________

Signed:____________________________________

Password:__________________________________

Mom:______________________________________

Dad:_______________________________________

What would you add?  Anything I forgot to include?