What can today’s political climate teach us about digital citizenship?

Imitators
There are more examples than ever of social media gone awry and most at the hands of adults who should know better. Students would be suspended or even expelled for the same behavior. McDonald’s suffered a political blow last week when their Twitter account was hacked, and disparaging remarks about the President showed up for over 150,000 followers.

We all have personal beliefs and are entitled to them. However, our young people are impressionable and swim in the same pool with the right and left winged juggernauts. Be kind. The best way to change is to write your state representative and follow the channels afforded to us.

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Are you a good digital citizen?

Read the Digital Citizenship standard for students published by the  International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Though the standards were written for students, adults can also benefit from adhering to them.

Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.

  • Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world.
  • Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.
  • Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.
  • Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online.

As you read through the bullets above, did a recent event come to mind? Our children deserve to have magnificent role models that build people up versus tear them down. Sometimes our friends and relatives may need a gentle reminder. 

Post your ideas for creating a more respectful culture.