Almost all youths today have immediate access to mobile devices. Most schools even require their students to have one to make learning and studying way easier than before. But while good intentions are put into technology use, the negative impact on the youths’ lives is becoming more visible than the good ones.
In the digital world, the consequences of carelessness and bad choices are far more serious. This is why teaching the importance of responsible technology use should be prioritized. And this is where digital citizenship comes in. The concept is designed to help students be responsible when interacting with technology. In this article, we’ll be discussing the top elements youths should learn and thrive as citizens of this modern, digital world.
1. Digital Etiquette
Youths, or kids, in particular, need to learn how to be digitally fluent. This shapes responsible online behavior that allows them to make good choices, including answering positively to digital content. To put it simply, it’s about learning how to treat other online users with respect and realizing how serious cyberbullying is. It teaches youth empathy by showing how messages should be sent out, whether through social media or text. For adults, encouraging their kids to communicate verbally is advisable.
2. Digital Literacy
Knowing the difference between fake content and the real one is imperative for any youth in the digital space. Being responsible citizens and having a balanced life starts with learning which content must be consumed and avoided. As a parent, be sure to educate yourself on online scams or Internet fraud. The stakes are high as identifying a good home loan from a suspicious one online. Or as simple as distinguishing a fake online clothing shop from a legit one. Surely, you don’t want to give your family or personal information to a complete scam, right?
3. Digital Privacy
Almost every platform and device globally has privacy settings, and they’re not just there for nothing. While youths are expected to read the fine print before using any apps or platforms, parents should also teach little kids the importance of this step. Youths should know what specific apps really require integration with social media profiles and access to their contact list and location services. This eventually keeps scams, strangers, and viruses far off. This is also even more important for youths using family computers with higher risks of access to sensitive family information, from mortgage contracts to bank statements.
4. Digital Rights
To hone good digital well-being, users should have the ability to voice out their opinions and perspectives in the right manner. Youths must also learn how to handle negative and offensive comments that target them or anyone they personally know. In addition to that, learning about the digital world’s regulations and user rights is necessary to promote accountability and right conduct in the virtual environment. This also helps in burying potential harmful effects like cyberbullying or protects the youth from such.
5. Digital Access
Another important thing about digital citizenship is a user’s full electronic participation in society. Youths should support digital access to promote positive digital citizenship. Any type of exclusions can impact the digital society’s growth. Whether it’s a young individual or an adult one, they should be given fair access to technology. This also plays a role in becoming productive citizens of society. For instance, even youths in disadvantaged communities should have the proper and updated digital devices and resources to teach them the importance of digital citizenship.
6. Digital Communication
One way to effectively promote youth social responsibility in this digital world is learning how to communicate online properly. Social media, email, and text are the most common ways youths digitally interact with each other. It is essential to learn how to use these and their voices to share appropriate and empathetic reactions on the Internet. It’s also about recognizing the real-life impacts digital communication generates.
Luckily, with the growing number of digital communication options, anyone can maintain constant communication with anyone. The downside is if youths are not taught how to make responsible decisions when faced with such communication options.
Nowadays, technology seems to be controlling almost everything, from how an industry runs to how a student acts. By ensuring youths know how to utilize technology, we can push personal and social lives for the better. We can create positive communication and relationships, pose more inspirations and motivations, and minimize the risks of social irresponsibility and recklessness.