Digital Citizenship

In the article Nine Elements - Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship, the author gives a comprehensive definition of Digital Citizenship.

"Digital Citizenship are the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use.” 

I think Digital Citizenship is essential in today’s world and it doesn’t only apply to my personal life but also to my career. As future teachers, we need to educate our students on how and to what extent they should use technology.

Some of the nine themes presented in the article previously mentioned and that I consider the most important for our teaching roles are “Digital Etiquette” and “Digital Health and Wellness”. Digital Etiquette, defined as the electronic standards of conduct or procedure, is very important to consider in our classrooms. Nowadays, almost everyone has access to technology during class but not everyone focuses on class-related tasks. Sometimes, our students play videogames or chat with friends in the middle of our class, and this is definitely prejudicial for both teachers and students. 

Another issue is Digital Health and Wellness, which deals with the physical and psychological well-being in a digital technology world. In my opinion, we need to be aware of the influence of technology on our health, and make our students aware of this as well. In the article Addressing Appropriate Technology Behavior, the authors point out the importance of encouraging the correct use of technology to prevent any long-lasting physical problems.

"Carpal tunnel syndrome is one (though not the only) such danger. Eyestrain and poor posture are not uncommon in technology-related activities".

These problems are produced due to extensive hours spent in front of a computer and the inappropriate use of it. They aren’t only physical issues like high level of stress, but they also include psychological issues, like they mention in the article Nine elements, such as Internet addiction.

It is also important to know that our participation in the technology society should be based on ethical principles which include respect ourselves and respect other “citizens”. There are issues such as illegal downloading, copyright violations and hacking. However, the most alarming issue related to the use of technology in our society is definitely cyberbullying, which can lead to worse problems such as stalking or online harassment. Cyberbullying cases are very frequent, especially among school-age children. In the article What is Cyberbullying?, we can read examples of cyberbullying as well as the big impact it has on our children.

"Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles".

The fact that kids can bully others online makes it easier for them because they can do it anytime (they just need a cellphone or laptop) and everywhere, and they can even do it anonymously. As teachers, we need to know how to prevent and react to cyberbullying, and avoid all those long-lasting effects it can have in our children (from low self-esteem to alarming suicide cases).  In my opinion, it is important to discuss this issue with our students, show ourselves open to talk about its effects and cases they’ve heard of or witnessed, and also learn strategies on how to act in case we notice it happening among our own students. Parents and teachers are the people that spend more time with children, and that is why it is so important for us to know how to manage our classrooms to prevent bullying, but also offer a safe and supportive environment for everyone, helping them be come good digital citizenships.