Digital Citizenship
- jmemka
- Jul 15, 2017
- 3 min read
Our curent coursework is focused on digital citizenship and taking a deeper look at both the good and bad that comes with a global-digital community.
I can easily admit, that my personal view of digital citizenship is largely based in my actions or those of my wife and our regular digital usage. Demographically speaking I can tell you that we are not digital natives, but I can't say were are digital immigrants either. We somehow fall in-between.
While we both grew up during the technology boom it wasn't entirely ingrained in the fabric of who we are. However, we are far more capable and aware than the digital immigrant that still prints documents to edit them, rather than edit in realtime on screen.
Most often we use digital services and our devices for personal education purposes. We search out recipes, instructions, directions, research ideas for home based projects, plan our travel, and attempt to make ourselves informed consumers when it comes to responsible purchasing. To borrow a phrase from comic books, "we use our powers for good, not evil".
So, when I think about digital citizenship I think about myself. I feel that I am a good citizen and I essentially bury my head in the sand with the hope that there rest of civilization will be good citizens as well. Alternative thinking can be depressing.
For the purpose of the coursework, I did decide to take a closer look at how the "internet" defines digital citizenship. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_citizen
Yes, I used wikipedia and essentially anyone who uses information technology or internet based technology is a digital citizen. While the definition provided does provide more information than that, it is fairly created and well balance in my opinion. Include was the 9 elements of digital citizenship and I have listed them for your preview as well.
Digital access: This is perhaps one of the most fundamental blocks to being a digital citizen. However, due to socioeconomic status, location, and other disabilities- some individuals may not have digital access. Recently, schools have been becoming more connected with the internet, often offering computers, and other forms of access. This can be offered through kiosks, community centers, and open labs. This most often is associated with the digital divide and factors associated with such. Digital access is available in many remote countries via cyber cafés and small coffee shops.[19]
Digital commerce: This is the ability for users to recognize that much of the economy is regulated online. It also deals with the understanding of the dangers and benefits of online buying, using credit cards online, and so forth. As with the advantages and legal activities- there is also dangerous activities such as illegal downloads, gambling, drug deals, pornography, plagiarism, and so forth.
Digital communication: This element deals with understanding the variety of online communication mediums such as email, instant messaging, Facebook messenger, the variety of apps, and so forth. There is a standard of etiquette associated with each medium.
Digital literacy: This deals with the understanding of how to use various digital devices. For example, how to properly search for something on a search engine versus a database. How to use various online logs. Oftentimes many educational institutions will help form an individual's digital literacy.
Digital etiquette: As discussed in the third element, digital communication, this is the expectation that various mediums require a variety of etiquette. Certain mediums demand more appropriate behavior and language than others.
Digital law: This is where enforcement occurs for illegal downloads, plagiarizing, hacking, creating viruses, sending spams, identity theft, cyberbullying, and so forth.
Digital rights and responsibilities: This is the set of rights digital citizens have such as privacy, speech, and so forth.
Digital health: Digital citizens must be aware of the physical stress placed on their bodies by internet usage. They must be aware to not become overly dependent on the internet causing eye strain, headaches, stress problems, and so on.
Digital security: This simply means that citizens must take measures to be safe by practicing using difficult passwords, virus protection, backing up data, and so forth
As I read the elements I began to think about accountability and the necessity to clearly define good vs bad citizenship. If the internet has made all of us global citizens, shouldn't we be governed just as were are within our own communities?
Digital Citizen. n.d. In Wikipedia. Retrieved July 11, 2017 from. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_citizen
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the horizon, 9(5), 1-6.