UNDERSTANDING DIGTAL CITIZENSHIP

Understanding Digital Citizenship

Chelsey McCowan

Lamar University
UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Introduction

Digital citizenship is defined as the norms of appropriate responsible behavior with

regard to technology use (Ribble,2015). This definition gives priority It can also be seen as the

responsible use of technology by a citizen who is a part of a digital community. With all of the

technological advances we have made in the last 20 or 30 years, the face of digital citizenship

has changed. With the development of social media and other digital platforms, it has become

imperative that every person on the internet must conduct themselves in a responsible, safe, and

with the correct etiquette every time they are on the internet. It is not only imperative for students

to conduct themselves in a positive manner online but also adults as well. There are nine

categories that fall under the digital citizenship umbrella. These nine categories are as follows;

 Digital access: Full ecteronic participation in society (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital commerce: The electronic buying and selling of goods (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital communication: The electronic exchange of information (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital literacy: The process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of

technology (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital etiquette: The electronic standard of conduct or procedure (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital law: The electronic responsibility for actions and deeds (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital rights and responsibilities: Those requirements and freedoms extended to

everyone in a digital world (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital health and wellness: Physical and psychological well- being in a digital

technology world (Ribble, 2015).

 Digital security: The electronic precautions to guarantee safety (Ribble, 2015).

Together these nine categories come together to create digital citizens that are informed,

respectful, and safe when online. Since technology has changed in such a rapid way, it would be

a mistake to assume that everyone- especially technology natives, have a concrete understanding

of what digital citizenship is. It is the job of an educator to educate students about this so they

know what it means to leave a positive digital foot print behind.

Elements of Digital Citizenship

As mentioned previously, there are nine elements of digital citizenship. Each of these

elements come together to create an overview of what digital citizenship entails. Because

technology has given us the ability to access just about anything, anywhere and at any time it is

imperative that digital citizens are always practicing their best digital citizenship online. In order

for these practices to always be in play it is the job of an educator to instill these principles and

elements at a young age. If students grow up knowing these elements, they are put in a better

position to be productive and positively, functioning members of the digital community at large.

Within these elements, they are broken down and grouped into three different categories. The

three categories are as follows: respect, educate, and protect.

Respect Yourself and Others

Respect plays such an important role in digital citizenship. With the development of

social media. It is getting harder for people to simply just respect others within the online space.

Because it is a societal standard in this day and age to put just about every area of your life on

social media, others feel as if they have a stake in your everyday personal life. Which means

people feel the need to interject their ideas and emotions. This feedback can be from someone

who is close to your or it may even come in the form of an anonymous person. It is important

that digital citizens lead with respect, always. Especially when on an online platform- it is
UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

imperative to remember that another human exists on the other side of the screen. Within the

nine elements, there are three categories that fall under respecting yourself and others. These

three categories are digital etiquette, digital access, and digital law.

Digital Etiquette. Out of all the nine elements, digital etiquette may fall into one of the

top categories. If every digital citizen led with etiquette, we would probably have a much more

kind world online. Digital etiquette is the electronic standard of conduct or procedure (Ribble,

2015). One of the more simple parts of online etiquette may be, treat others how you would want

to be treated. This means moving around the internet in a respectful manner.

Digital Access. Access deals with the certain types of technologies we have access to.

Not everyone around the world has access to the newest technological sensation. Because of this,

those who do have access should be ready and willing to help out others who do not. Schools

who are including technology need to ensure that every student has an equal opportunity with

technology implementation and accommodate students with less access.

Digital Law. Under the umbrella of digital law it is essential to protect information or

materials that may not belong to us. On the internet we have access to millions of songs, movies,

and articles that are made readily available online. Because of the amount of materials we have

at our disposal, it is important to always have permission in using these items This may mean

citing a source properly or not playing a movie in class without permission from its creators.

Educate Yourself and Others

Education is so very important. It plays an even more important role when it comes to

digital citizenship. Students and adults alike need the proper education about how to navigate our

online world. There are three essential elements that fall under the category of educating yourself
UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

and others. Those three elements are digital literacy, digital communication, and digital

commerce.

Digital Literacy. Digital literacy does not only come in a classroom. It is so easy for us

to gain these skills in real life. Digital literacy deals with teaching and learning about technology

and how to properly utilize technology. These things can be learned from our family friends-

even though sometimes this information can be inaccurate. It is important to learn to use

technology in the correct manner.

Digital Communication. In the last 20 years, digital communication has changed at a

rapid pace. We can connect very easily with people all across the world. Communication can

come in the form of a text message, email, tweet, direct message, instant message, and so on.

While communicating digitally, it is essential to figure out the best communication method and

follow through with it in the proper manner. While this is an easy way to communicate, it can

also be a very hard way to get the point across.

Digital Commerce. Digital commerce deals with the way people buy and sell in an

online space. Education is important for this element of digital citizenship because it is

imperative to think about the best way to protect your personal information in an online space.

One may educate themselves on the best way to buy things online and the best way to sell things

in an online market place. Education is key to safety when completing transactions such as these.

Protect Yourself and Others

Protecting ourselves in the online world is perhaps one of the most important parts of

digital citizenship. Students need to understand the effects of not protecting themselves in an

online space and what it could mean to their digital footprint in the future. There are three
UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

elements that fall underneath the category of protection are digital rights and responsibilities,

digital security, and digital health and wellness.

Digital Rights and Responsibilities. It is important to protect others in an online space.

Within right and responsibilities this can protect your rights as a digital citizen or it can fall under

your responsibility to others. If you observe someone being rude online, you can most definitely

interject into the conversation and stop it. This may also mean protecting private and personal

information of others.

Digital Security. Security is so very important in digital citizenship. Security means

keeping your personal and private information to yourself. Security is the biggest lesson young

people can be exposed to. Students need to remember that their personal information is their

own. It is also important to remember to not talk to people you do not know. With all of the

advances of social media, it is so easy to connect with people and maybe even overshare with

someone that you meet online. The topic of digital security, can also pertain to making sure

software is kept up to date so that the technology being utilize is not being put in a compromising

situation.

Digital Health and Wellness. Digital health and wellness deals with balance between the

online world and the real world. The physical and mental state of a person can be at risk

depending upon how technology is utilized. If there is a balance between real world and online

world it is easier to keep mental health in check and fresh thought processes in place. Too much

technology, can absolutely be a bad thing.

Conclusion

I have had technology majority of my life. I have been exposed to various types of

technology and have been taught how to carry myself online. My hope is that I can continue to
UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

teach and expose my students to the nine elements of digital citizenship. Since they have grown

up in a world that has had social media and technological advances all of their lives. In creating

my final project I wanted to make sure my top three elements of digital citizenship were

incorporated into an easy and simple to follow video format. I wanted the main portions of my

digital citizenship mantras to be at the forefront The three elements of digital citizenship that I

find most important are digital rights and responsibilities, digital safety, and digital etiquette.

These three elements encompass my digital citizenship mantra which is: be respectful,

responsible, and safe with every click. If students keep this mantra in mind, my hope is that they

learn to navigate the digital space in a respectful, safe and polite way.
UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

References

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd

ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education