Digital citizenship is an essential aspect in the use of technology. Digital citizenship and online responsibility is the key to a positive and safe online experience for everyone. Being responsible online consists of many things.

Firstly, to be a safe digital citizen, you must understand how the internet works. The internet essentially connects the entire world to each other, which means, things that you share online, for the most part can be seen anywhere and everywhere in the world. Having an understanding of how it works and what it truly means when you post, comment and share things on the internet, is the first step to being a digital citizen.

There are so many factors that play a role in how the internet works and how to be safe while using it. Many things come up on the internet that may seem easy to believe but are far from the truth. Such as ‘fake news’. Fake news is news that has been published by random users or news networks that includes falsified information. Since the internet is so accessible to so many people, as a user of the internet you need to be vigilant in ensuring the information you are reading is coming from reliable sources with truthful information.

Next, understanding that there needs to be a balance of how much time you spend on the internet and how much you expose yourself to, is another way to practice digital wellbeing and citizenship. Spending the majority of your day surfing the internet and scrolling through social media is an unhealthy balance as it may become overwhelming to be constantly involved and obsessing over things you see on social media.

Lastly, teaching youth and also adults about how to be safe online is essential to becoming a digital citizen. Ensuring that your private information is not being leaked or shared to unknown people and third parties is critical to make sure you are protected online. Teaching kids about what is safe sharing and what is not safe sharing is extremely important. Stranger danger does not only imply strangers out in the park, it is even more important online. Making sure you are safe online, as well as your kids/students, is an act of diligence to ensure everyone is protected and safe online.

I believe digital citizenship is crucial to teach in schools to enable kids with the tools they need to not only be safe on the internet, but also successful. Incorporating lessons on digital citizenship assists the students in getting answers to some questions they may have about the internet, as well as creating a safe space in the classroom to talk about things online that may be scary for some kids. The internet is an overwhelming place and it is impossible to shelter kids from things that may come on online; however, we as educators can do our very best to provide knowledge and understanding so that kids can be more aware and use the internet safely.

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Photo 2:https://unsplash.com/photos/Tk9m_HP4rgQ