How to Be a Good Digital Citizen
Overview
A quick overview on digital citizenshp.
Introduction
More and more people around the world are spending a significant amount of time online. It is easy to forget that what you do and say online can and will affect your life offline.
In this lesson, we will discover what digital citizenship is and what it means to be a good digital citizen. We will address:
- digital literacy
- your digital footprint
- how to protect your identity.
What is Digital Citizenship?
Digital citizenship is the ability to act responsibly, safely, and respectfully while utilizing technology.
It is important to take steps to ensure you are being a good digital citizen. Some simple steps include:
- Think before you post. Even if you think you have deleted something, if someone took a screenshot, for example, it is not truly gone.
- Report illegal or harmful behavior.
- Don't give out personal information. We will explore this topic more in this module.
- Fact-check information. There will be more information on this topic on the next slide.
To sum it up, a growing portion of our lives are spent online, whether it be for social, school, or career reasons, so act online as you would offline. Remember, a good digital citizen respects the rights of fellow users.
What is Digital Literacy?
Digital literacy is characterized by the ability to find, locate, and communicate information using digital technologies.
Some examples include creating and sharing videos, documents, and slides presentations.
What is a Digital Footprint?
A digital footprint is the data and interactions you leave even when you log off the internet. Your digital footprint can affect your reputation on and offline and can even influence potential employers.
Read the two profiles of fictional people trying to get a job as a host of a web TV show. As you read through what they wrote the employer and what they have posted online, think about how they present themselves on their social media accounts. Answer the prompts, then reflect on whether what you post online reflects how you want others to see you.
How to Protect Your Identity
There are numerous ways we give out our personal information online: purchasing products, filling out forms, even answering emails. Unfortunately, this can make it easy for hackers to steal and use that information to rack up your credit card bill or apply for something using your name and information. Following the 7 simple steps addressed in the provided video will help keep your identity safe during your every day internet interactions.
- Don't give out personal information
- Create complex passwords
- Check website reliability
- Avoid suspicious online links
- Keep your computer updated
- Monitor app permissions
- Be cautious with public Wifi