Digital Citizenship
The term digital citizenship is used to describe the responsible and ethical use of technology and the abilities and behaviors that enable an individual to survive the digital world. It is a primary tool for introducing communication about respect, the protection of one's personal data, and the promotion of digital literacy in a society that is constantly expanding and coming closer to each other.
The core elements of digital citizenship include digital literacy, internet safety, digital communication, and the ethical use of technology. Digital literacy consists of the knowledge of finding, assessing, and creating digital content. On the other hand, online safety has to do with the fact that people should exclude personal information and detect risky online sites, and digital communication conveys that people should speak courteously in digital places. Meanwhile, Ethical use has to do with knowing copyright laws and the effects of digital actions.
The incorporation of the lessons on Cybersecurity, Proper Usage of Social Media, and Online Resources Evaluation in the curriculum will help the teachers to carry on digital citizenship to the students. For example, teachers can organize the workshops where they would help students in recognizing misinformation or create projects requiring students to work together online while following communication standards. Additionally, the integration of discussions about the properties of digital footprints that are permanent would be a way to help learners understand the repercussions of their actions in the future.
The way parents can digital citizenship is by showing positive online behavior, regulating the use of multimedia devices, and being a part of dialogue regarding the online experience. Parents might be a driving force of the critical thinking skills in their children who are exposed to all kinds of media and want to know more and more about them. For example, parents can talk about the privacy options available on social networking sites and how not to share private articles with unknown readers is essential.
Digital citizenship is integral for learners as it prepares them to traverse the digital realm in a secure and accountable way with the requisite skills. Focusing on technology both for study and connection with friends, the knowledge of digital citizenship not only helps them ignore cyberbullying but also student privacy but also makes them digital consumers with more information. Digital citizenship competency for example students who have is the primary factor to crime prevention they do not engage in online scams or exhibit harmful behavior online.