Definition

Your responsible use, interaction, and consumption in an online community.

Nine elements of Digital Citizenship

Mike Ribble (2015) breaks down digital citizenship into nine interconnected elements. He declares the elements to be the following:

The elements are grouped into three distinguishable categories and three principles. The principles separate the elements by how they affect the academics, behavior, school setting and overall life of a student. The categories sort them into the themes of Respect, Educate and Protect also known as REPs (Ribble, 2015) .

The Digital Tattoo

As we continue to utilize the internet as an extension of our lives, we must be intentional about our digital actions. Whether we engage constructively or recklessly, it leaves an impression that can last forever. As digital citizens, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of our online communities and to be conscious of our online presence.

Cyberbullying is a new form of oppression that has gained popularity in the 21st-Century with the rise of the internet and social technologies. It is social aggression from repeated harassment by sending or posting harmful material through electronic technology (Class lecture, 2020; Siegle, 2010).

Types of cyberbullying: flaming (online fights), harassment, denigration (dissing), impersonation, outing, trickery, exclusion, cyberstalking (Siegle, 2010).

Kowalski et al. (2012) state that “cyberbullying is most prevalent in the ‘online’ generation, which predominantly consists of children and adolescents (as cited in Brewer & Kerslake, 2015).” According to Siegle (2010), one in five middle school students has been digitally bullied and one in five had digitally bullied others. Loneliness, low self-esteem, and introversion are the most common traits of those who fall victim to cyberbullies.

The snowballing effect of the “post and forward” craze of the internet has drastically changed the game for bullies and victims. Bullies now have 24-hour access to their victims and audience (Struglinski, 2006) and the use of the internet creates a digital footprint with lasting effects. It is our responsibility, as digital leaders, to protect our novice iCitizens by teaching digital etiquette and safety.

Tragic stories of cyber victims

There are many ways we can help a child not succumb to being a bully or a victim. The Cyberbullying Research Center listed the following helpful tips: cultivate open lines of communication, develop stakeholder relationships, set up anonymous reporting, instill hope, enlist the help of students, and never stop learning (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015). School staff must do their due diligence to promote awareness and cultivate safe, open relationships with students. Parents should monitor technology usage with discretion and diligently look for warning signs in the child’s demeanor. With more intentional and informed efforts in place, we can make the digital world a safer place to learn and interact.