Digital Citizenship. I haven’t talked that much about this recently, but it is something that always weighs on my mind. When I taught Technology I spent weeks on this concept. Now, more than ever, it is important to pay attention to the elements of being a good digital citizen.
One of the topics I focused on in my classes was the concept that everything you put on the internet is permanent AKA “Be careful what you post.” I wanted to get the point across that future employers, schools, and more can search and find posts of you that may not even represent you anymore – but it’s there on the internet. Technology is amazing, when used properly as a tool. However, if it is misused, as we can see, it can cause many problems.
Lately, I’m reading story after story of people getting in trouble for what they post. A Facebook post here, or a nasty comment there. People have been convicted of crimes because of their own post or video of them committing the crime. And the thing is, the consequences don’t discriminate. We are seeing people from regular citizens to lawmakers feeling the effects of their social media posts, which is why it is more important than ever for us to watch what we post.
To help with this I created a poster indicating what digital citizenship is. It started when I began writing my debut novel, Souled. The book lightly touches on digital distraction as the main character spends more and more time on gaming until he is “consumed” by it. Since then, I’ve been reaching out with my social media on these topics, which I feel are so important and relevant. That’s why I created the poster on the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship. You can get a free PDF version HERE.
As time goes on, I plan to continue tackling the issues of digital distraction and digital citizenship. I’m also working with the creator of Primed for Life to offer alternatives to digital consumption. With just a little bit of knowledge and awareness, we can use technology to do great and wonderful things!
Jennifer Gladen 