Digital Citizenship...It Really Matters

      Here we are.  Online.  Sharing thoughts.  At least, I am currently sharing mine with you.  And being present online is something I do daily, yet I have only recently realized that this makes me a citizen of a digital world.  I am a citizen, and therefore have a responsibility to be aware of my digital footprint and keep it in good standing.  As a teacher who plans on incorporating technology into her classroom, I also have a responsibility to teach my students how to be good digital citizens.  

   

     But what does being a responsible "digital citizen" look like?  What does that actually mean?!  It means that you participate kindly, and responsibly.  You are respectful of others thoughts, feelings, and privacy.  Just as we don't steal from others in the real world and ask before using someone else's bike, we need to use the digital work of others with permission and give credit where it is due.  Digital citizenship means remembering that toothpaste can never get shoved back in the tube!  What you share in the digital world is out there forever....you can't get it back.  So I think before I post, or share, or buy.  You never know who might see it.  A thief?  A future employer?  A student?  A parent of a student? 

    As a teacher, I want my students to use technology and become familiar with the digital world.  The odds are good that they will all be frequent flyers here and will have jobs that require familiarity.  But I understand why adults are worried about what kids are being exposed to.  Not so very long ago, kids didn't have hand-held access to so much of the world.  Once we could be shielded from the ugly parts, from the predators, from constant consumerism.  Now, with a few taps on a screen or keyboard, today's youth have and inside pass to anything and everyone.   According to the article found here, "Among social media users, 88% of teens have seen someone be mean or cruel to another person on a social network site."  This lack of control and lack of ability to protect has parents trying to limit their children's access to the digital world.  They assume that by limiting their child's use of technology they are protecting them.  In truth, they are often sheltering them too much.  We don't protect our children from bumps and bruises by not letting them learn to walk or ride a bike.  Instead, we hold their hand, run with them, and buy them a helmet.  In much the same way, parents need to demonstrate digital safety and good digital citizenship to their children.  They need to discuss what is safe and what to avoid.  Provide some protection without smothering the creativity!  There is so much potential for learning and discovery in the digital world.  Our job as parents and teachers is to prepare our children to use it to expand their potential.