Why teaching digital etiquette is urgent amid rising WhatsApp harassment

The Hindu

11-07-2025

Last year, a week after the orientation at one of Hyderabad's reputed law colleges, Athai, a student from Nagaland, became part of her class's informal WhatsApp group—created by students without the involvement of faculty. Unlike the official group, where only class-related subjects and assignments were discussed, this one was more casual, with students introducing themselves and sharing their hobbies.
But things took a grim turn when Athai did not respond to the advances of a classmate. He began mocking her, using a derogatory term for people from the northeast, and soon influenced others to join in. Within a day, the group was flooded with comments about her hairstyle, appearance, and more. Athai exited the group, and within two days, she dropped out of the college altogether.
'I chose to return and study in Nagaland, where I'm not seen as an outsider,' said Athai, recalling the incident, which occurred a year ago.
What stood out was how none of her classmates intervened. Two of them admitted to The Hindu that they knew the trolling was wrong, but didn't know how to react. That hesitation, that silence, speaks to a deeper gap: the absence of digital etiquette.
Digital etiquette in Indian colleges
Digital etiquette, in this context, is about knowing how to behave online—what's acceptable, what crosses the line, and when to speak up. Students step into college with complete control over their mobile phones, but little to no understanding of how to use them responsibly in shared digital spaces. Colleges in India often go all out during orientation week—celebrating institutional rankings, showcasing alumni success, and highlighting placement records. Yet, in all this grandeur, there's little effort to initiate students into the basics of digital etiquette.
Digital etiquette or 'netiquette,' is the code of respectful and appropriate behaviour within the digital learning environment. In the educational context, it includes good practices, from maintaining academic integrity by not plagiarizing content to exhibiting respect toward instructors and peers in online communications, as per Lincoln Learning Solutions, a non-profit education provider that partners with schools and educators to deliver digital curriculum.
In light of the University Grants Commission's recent directive asking colleges to monitor informal WhatsApp groups that harass juniors, the need to teach digital etiquette becomes even more urgent. 'When there is such an instruction, there will be some control—even if not complete control,' said Rajan Gurukkal, Vice-Chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council. 'In just a couple of years, we'll have 'screen-age' students entering colleges—young people who are already deeply accustomed to digital media. Unlike their previous generations who developed sensibility through reading and writing, screen-age students are adept with digital tools. That's precisely why it's important to teach digital etiquette early,' Mr. Rajan said.
While the need for monitoring informal WhatsApp groups risks pushing into sensitive territory of invading the right to privacy, it is a direct response to the UGC's acknowledgement of rising ragging complaints online. Dr. Saumya Sisodia, political science professor at GB University, Noida, said, 'We've never done a session or made a PowerPoint on digital etiquette but while teaching about digital governance, I teach them the art and science of using social media.' She added that the faculty members try to stay present in informal WhatsApp groups to keep an eye on conversations, but acknowledged the limitations of this approach.
'How can we monitor the informal whatsapp groups? It interferes with an individual's fundamental right and their right to privacy,' Prof. Sisodia said, stressing that the problem is more behavioral than structural and the mobile phone merely becomes a tool for such issues to surface because it offers ease and anonymity.
If colleges choose to monitor WhatsApp groups to curb ragging, they must do so without violating students' privacy. 'At a time when the latest version of Gemini says that it can access WhatsApp messages, it is not impossible to monitor whatsapp groups with Artificial Intelligence tools. But, college administration should present a clear case, inform students, seek permission from WhatsApp and then monitor the groups,' said Jayaprakash Gandhi, career consultant and education analyst.
Way forward
Digital etiquette should ideally begin in schools, so that by the time they enter college, students are ethically aware, say experts. In the online world, there is a possibility of creating anonymous accounts and it is easy to troll, cyberbully and rag. That's why teenagers and young adults become a little more uninhibited, said Dr. Geetanjali Jha, Digital Parenting expert and Cyberpsychology researcher, iMature EdTech, a platform in India dedicated to educating students, parents, schools and colleges on Digital Citizenship and Internet Maturity (DCIM).
Acknowledging that parental controls and blanket bans by teachers have little to no lasting impact on mobile usage among school and college students, Dr. Geetanjali Jha said the real solution lies in awareness and guidance. 'At the school level, students are already using mobiles—probably switching them off and hiding them during class and using them during breaks or after school to update parents about their safety. By the time they reach college, it's not just mobile phones—they use smart rings and smartwatches too, making it even easier to scroll during lectures without being noticed,' she said.
The best thing is to teach the students 'Cyber Sanskar' or Internet Maturity - a 21st-century life skill,' said Geetanjali Jha. iMature EdTech designed The Digital Citizenship and Internet Maturity Club (DCIM) Toolkit, a free of cost, self-paced school curriculum designed with activities and training for healthy Internet behaviour, for both students and staff. It helps build awareness through practical, scenario-based learning, making Internet Maturity a lived, everyday skill.
It is already being implemented in several schools, including BITS Pilani (School), Bhavan's Bharati School in Bhopal, and New Era School in Jhansi. 'They need to learn responsible and mature internet behavior,' said Ms. Jha. 'Teenagers are naturally rebellious, so we don't preach—we explain with empathy and real-world examples that show the magnitude of the problem. For instance, many foreign universities conduct background checks. If you've abused someone on Facebook, it can reflect poorly on your Online Reputation and hurt future prospects,' she said.
Parents play a crucial role in shaping digital etiquette, said Ms. Jha. But the approach matters. 'Parents shouldn't act like the internet is their child's enemy. They need to be conversant, easy, and relaxed while guiding children in their internet behaviour,' she said. She has developed a program to guide parents (and all adults who look after children), so that they can become Digital Leaders for their children.