From the digital citizenship website, digital citizenship is defined as “a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately” (Ribble, 2017). The main point of digital citizenship, to me, is virtually the same as the traditional view of citizenship in the real world. The overwhelming theme of digital citizenship is to respect other online patrons and their creations, whether it be art, multimedia, or even just their opinions. The chart below highlights the 9 main themes of digital citizenship:
The main similarities between citizenship and digital citizenship stem from the idea that there is advocacy for equal human rights for all. While this may not be universally true for either, both are working towards this notion of global human equality. I believe that part of human equality can best be described using the golden rule – treat others how you wish to be treated. For citizenship, this means granting rights, courtesies, allowances, and privileges equally across all demographics to ensure that each person has the same human rights that they need. For digital citizenship, this applies to the same aspects online. Nobody wants to be bullied online, and nobody wants to have their original content stolen, be it their personal identity or a work of creation. By granting other users with these basic courtesies and rights, digital citizenship can easily be attained.
I believe that the first lesson we must teach our students about digital citizenship stems from this notion of the golden rule. Perhaps we can rebrand it as the ‘silicon rule’ to play up the technology theme? Either way, teaching students to be respectful of others online as they would in person will go a long way towards achieving the goals of digital citizenship.
As teachers, our role is to first introduce this concept of digital citizenship and enforce the digital equality throughout all online mediums. In doing this, we must also warn students of the consequences of breaking these rules and the outcomes they may produce. Just like we would teach a lesson on how stealing and fighting are illegal activities, we must also address the consequences of digital piracy and online bullying. There are several instances of students and adults alike who have succumbed to online bullying and felt that suicide was the only way to prevent the hazing. Students must be made aware that their online actions have real-world consequences.
Students need to be made aware of their own personal rights online. Likewise, they must be taught how to effectively protect their own private information from being compromised. Again, there are several instances of personal accounts being hacked and most of these occurrences are due to poor passwords and security questions. The teacher’s role must be to explain all of these steps and provide examples of how to avoid being an online victim. In doing this, the teacher will be creating an ideal future for digital citizenship.
References:
Davis, V. (2017, November 24). What Your Students Really Need to Know About Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-citizenship-need-to-know-vicki-davis
Editorial Team. (2014, December 13). Characteristics of a Good Digital Citizen (EdTech Review, Ed.). Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/1706-infographic-characteristics-of-a-good-digital-citizen
Ribble, M. (2017). Digital Citizenship Consulting - Education, Technology Support. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/home.html
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