Digital citizenship can be defined as engaging in appropriate and
responsible behaviour when using technology. It encompasses digital
literacy, ethics, etiquette, online safety, norms, rights, culture and
more.
A digital citizen is one who knows what is right and wrong, exhibits
intelligent technology behavior, and makes good choices when using
technology.
Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps us understand what all
technology users should know to use technology appropriately and
responsibly.
Addressing the 21st century skill of digital citizenship is important; to
help students to learn, communicate and collaborate safely and
responsibly. Being a best digital citizen in the community includes
having email etiquette, reporting and preventing cyber bullying,
learning how to protect private information, etc.
Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate,
responsible behaviour with regard to technology use.
1. Digital Access: full electronic participation in society.
Technology users need to be aware that not everyone has the same
opportunities when it comes to technology. Working toward equal
digital rights and supporting electronic access is the starting point of
Digital Citizenship. Digital exclusion makes it difficult to grow as a
society increasingly using these tools. Helping to provide and expand
access to technology should be goal of all digital citizens. Users need
to keep in mind that there are some that may have limited access, so
other resources may need to be provided. To become productive
citizens, we need to be committed to make sure that no one is denied
digital access.
2. Digital Commerce: electronic buying and selling of goods.
Technology users need to understand that a large share of market
economy is being done electronically. Legitimate and legal exchanges
are occurring, but the buyer or seller needs to be aware of the issues
associated with it. The mainstream availability of Internet purchases of
toys, clothing, cars, food, etc. has become commonplace to many
users. At the same time, an equal amount of goods and services which
are in conflict with the laws or morals of some countries are surfacing
(which might include activities such as illegal downloading,
pornography, and gambling). Users need to learn about how to be
effective consumers in a new digital economy.
3. Digital Communication: electronic exchange of information.
One of the significant changes within the digital revolution is a
person’s ability to communicate with other people. In the 19th century,
forms of communication were limited. In the 21st century,
communication options have exploded to offer a wide variety of
choices (e.g., e-mail, cellular phones, instant messaging). The
expanding digital communication options have changed everything
because people are able to keep in constant communication with
anyone else. Now everyone has the opportunity to communicate and
collaborate with anyone from anywhere and anytime. Unfortunately,
many users have not been taught how to make appropriate decisions
when faced with so many different digital communication options.
4. Digital Literacy: process of teaching and learning about
technology and the use of technology.
While schools have made great progress in the area of technology
infusion, much remains to be done. A renewed focus must be made on
what technologies must be taught as well as how it should be used.
New technologies are finding their way into the work place that are not
being used in schools (e.g., videoconferencing, online sharing spaces
such as wikis). In addition, workers in many different occupations
need immediate information (just-in-time information). This process
requires sophisticated searching and processing skills (i.e., information
literacy). Learners must be taught how to learn in a digital society. In
other words, learners must be taught to learn anything, anytime,
anywhere. Business, military, and medicine are excellent examples of
how technology is being used differently in the 21st century. As new
technologies emerge, learners need to learn how to use that technology
quickly and appropriately. Digital Citizenship involves educating
people in a new way − these individuals need a high degree of
information literacy skills.
5. Digital Etiquette: electronic standards of conduct or procedure.
Technology users often see this area as one of the most pressing
problems when dealing with Digital Citizenship. We recognize
inappropriate behaviour when we see it, but before people use
technology they do not learn digital etiquette (i.e., appropriate
conduct). Many people feel uncomfortable talking to others about their
digital etiquette. Often rules and regulations are created or the
technology is simply banned to stop inappropriate use.
It is not enough to create rules and policy, we must teach everyone to
become responsible digital citizens in this new society.
6. Digital Law: electronic responsibility for actions and deeds
Digital law deals with the ethics of technology within a society.
Unethical use manifests itself in form of theft and/or crime. Ethical use
manifests itself in the form of abiding by the laws of society. Users
need to understand that stealing or causing damage to other people’s
work, identity, or property online is a crime. There are certain rules of
society that users need to be aware in an ethical society. These laws
apply to anyone who works or plays online. Hacking into others
information, downloading illegal music, plagiarizing, creating
destructive worms, viruses or creating Trojan Horses, sending spam, or
stealing anyone’s identify or property is unethical.
7. Digital Rights & Responsibilities: those freedoms extended to
everyone in a digital world.
Just as in the American Constitution where there is a Bill of Rights,
there is a basic set of rights extended to every digital citizen. Digital
citizens have the right to privacy, free speech, etc. Basic digital rights
must be addressed, discussed, and understood in the digital world.
With these rights also come responsibilities as well. Users must help
define how the technology is to be used in an appropriate manner. In a
digital society these two areas must work together for everyone to be
productive.
8. Digital Health & Wellness: physical and psychological well-being
in a digital technology world.
Eye safety, repetitive stress syndrome, and sound ergonomic practices
are issues that need to be addressed in a new technological world.
Beyond the physical issues are those of the psychological issues that
are becoming more prevalent such as Internet addiction. Users need to
be taught that there are inherent dangers of technology. Digital
Citizenship includes a culture where technology users are taught how
to protect themselves through education and training.
9. Digital Security (self-protection): electronic precautions to
guarantee safety.
In any society, there are individuals who steal, deface, or disrupt other
people. The same is true for the digital community. It is not enough to
trust other members in the community for our own safety. In our own
homes, we put locks on our doors and fire alarms in our houses to
provide some level of protection. The same must be true for the digital
security. We need to have virus protection, backups of data, and surge
control of our equipment. As responsible citizens, we must protect our
information from outside forces that might cause disruption or harm.
9 Rules For Digital Citizenship
1. A good citizen advocates for equal human rights for all.
2. A good citizen treats others courteously and never bullies.
3. A good citizen does not damage or others’ property or person.
4. A good citizen communicates clearly, respectfully, and with
empathy.
 5. A good citizen actively pursues an education and develops
habits for lifelong learning.
6. A good citizen spends and manages money responsibly.
7. A good citizen upholds basic human rights of privacy, freedom
of speech, etc.
8. A good citizen protects self and others from harm.
9. A good citizen proactively promotes their own physical and
mental health.

Etiquette (/ˈɛtɪkɛt/ or /ˈɛtɪkɪt/, French: [e.ti.kɛt]) is a code of behavior

that delineates expectations for social behavior according to
contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or
group.

The French word étiquette, literally signifying a tag or label, was used
in a modern sense in English around 1750.[2] Etiquette is behaviour
that assists survival and has changed and evolved over the years.

Etiquette is a code of polite conduct. If you practice proper etiquette,

you are less likely to offend or annoy people — and you may even
charm them.
The Core Rules of Netiquette — Summary
Rule 1. Remember the human.
Never forget that the person reading your mail or posting is, indeed, a
person, with feelings that can be hurt.
Corollary 1 to Rule #1: It's not nice to hurt other people's feelings.
Corollary 2: Never mail or post anything you wouldn't say to your
reader's face.
Corollary 3: Notify your readers when flaming.
Rule 2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you
follow in real life.
Corollary 1: Be ethical.
Corollary 2: Breaking the law is bad Netiquette.
Rule 3. Know where you are in cyberspace.
Corollary 1: Netiquette varies from domain to domain.
Corollary 2: Lurk before you leap.
Rule 4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth.
Corollary 1: It's OK to think that what you're doing at the moment is
the most important thing in the universe, but don't expect anyone else
to agree with you.
Corollary 2: Post messages to the appropriate discussion group.
Corollary 3: Try not to ask stupid questions on discussion groups.
Corollary 4: Read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document.
Corollary 5: When appropriate, use private email instead of posting to
the group.
Corollary 6: Don't post subscribe, unsubscribe, or FAQ requests.
Corollary 7: Don't waste expert readers' time by posting basic
information.
A digital footprint is a trail of data you create while using the Internet.
It includes the websites you visit, emails you send, and information
you submit to online services.
A "passive digital footprint" is a data trail you unintentionally leave
online. For example, when you visit a website, the web server may log
your IP address, which identifies your Internet service provider and
your approximate location. While your IP address may change and
does not include any personal information, it is still considered part of
your digital footprint. A more personal aspect of your passive digital
footprint is your search history, which is saved by some search engines
while you are logged in.
An "active digital footprint" includes data that you intentionally submit
online. Sending an email contributes to your active digital footprint,
since you expect the data be seen and/or saved by another person. The
more email you send, the more your digital footprint grows. Since
most people save their email online, the messages you send can easily
remain online for several years or more.
Publishing a blog and posting social media updates are another popular
ways to expand your digital footprint. Every tweet you post on Twitter,
every status update you publish on Facebook, and every photo you
share on Instagram contributes to your digital footprint. The more you
spend time on social networking websites, the larger your digital
footprint will be. Even "liking" a page or a Facebook post adds to your
digital footprint, since the data is saved on Facebook's servers.
Everyone who uses the Internet has a digital footprint, so it is not
something to be worried about. However, it is wise to consider what
trail of data you are leaving behind. For example, remembering your
digital footprint may prevent your from sending a scathing email, since
the message might remain online forever. It may also lead you to be
more discerning in what you publish on social media websites. While
you can often delete content from social media sites, once digital data
has been shared online, there is no guarantee you will ever be able to
remove it from the Internet.
What is Digital Footprint:
Digital footprint is a very important thing to us as it determines how
our use of ICT and modern technology is affecting the digital
environment today. For example, if you are always using the
computer/laptop or watching the TV most of the time, you will have a
higher digital footprint because you would be making a bigger impact
on the digital environment. It is a trail that you leave whenever you log
on to or visit a website.
What are the effects of a negative Digital Footprint:
A negative digital footprint consists of things that are on the internet
that you would not want to be there. This could be something like a
drunken photo, a silly comment or even logging on to
an inappropriate website. Basically, whatever you would not want any
of your friends, family etc. to see would be classed as a negative
digital footprint. By having a negative footprint, it can even effect your
chances of gaining a place into University because, if they searched
your name and a drunken photo popped up, they would be more than
likely swayed to not accept you. All because of that one
drunken night 3 years ago you couldn’t even remember!
What can you do to have a positive Digital Footprint:
There are many different things you can do to ensure that your digital
footprint is kept positive. For example, you should make sure you do
not give out ANY of your passwords to ANYONE. You never know
what might happen if they get into the wrong hands. You can also
make sure you do not post anything on the web that you would not
want any of your family or friends to see. In the future, you may be
applying for a job/university etc. If an employer searches for you on
the internet and finds pictures of you that are in no way, shape or form
disrepectful, drunken, show unreliable qualities etc. they are more
likely to take you on instead of someone who apperars to use the
internet in the wrong way.
DIGITAL ISSUES IN THE PHILIPPINES
Internet and mobile communications technologies offer a wealth of
opportunities for fun, learning, and exploration. They also present
parents and teachers with a host of concerns and worries. In this
section, you can find resources on how to tackle these issues in a
positive way.
Authenticating Information
Whether you are doing a little research, following a news story, or
sharing interesting things on social media, the Internet is a never-
ending source of information. But how do you know if that
information is true, unbiased and relevant? This section helps you
sharpen your critical thinking skills in finding, recognizing and sharing
quality info online.
Cyberbullying
The Internet is a social medium made up of communities, cliques, and
groups. While this is usually positive, sometimes people engage
intimidation or harassment. This section explores the myths and
realities of cyberbullying and offers tips for adults to help young
people who are involved in it.
Cyber Security
When we use digital devices we run certain risks – to our personal
information, our financial data, and those devices themselves. This
section describes different cyber security risks, with tips and
strategies for managing them, and looks at issues of particular
concern to children and teens.
Excessive Internet Use
Maintaining a healthy balance between entertainment media and
other activities in children’s lives has always been a challenge. The
Internet has made this challenge even more difficult. This section
explores how to recognize when excessive use has become
problematic and how to address the issue.
Gambling
Gambling is an issue that parents rarely talk about with their children,
but easy access to online gambling sites has made this a pressing
issue that needs to be addressed with young people. In this section,
we offer parents and teachers resources for discussing this topic with
children and youth.
Online Hate
For all that the Internet can offer us, it sometimes offers a platform
for promoting hatred and violence. In this section, we cover what
online hate means, what Canadian law says about it, and how young
people and adults can respond to it while keeping in mind Canada’s
position on freedom of expression.
Online Ethics
This section introduces important concepts that impact our ethical
behaviour such as ethical development, empathy and laws, rules and
personal morality. Then we explore how these ethical concepts affect
the ways that young people behave online as well as the
opportunities they represent for developing digital literacy skills
Online Marketing
The following section looks at the ways in which children and youth
are targeted and marketed to online and the associated issues. It also
provides strategies to help kids develop the media smarts they need
to play – and not unwittingly pay – when they go online.
Privacy
Despite what many adults believe, privacy matters to youth. Teaching
kids about privacy, ethics and digital citizenship can give youth the
agency to control their personal information and avoid embarrassing
or harming themselves and others with their online actions.
Pornography
Young people today are exposed to a plethora of sexual imagery in
media – both online and off. This section looks at potential impacts of
exposure to pornography on the development of healthy sexuality
and offers tips for protecting young children and educating older kids.
Sexual Exploitation
It’s important to understand the real risks young people face on the
Internet, especially in regards to sexual exploitation. Who is at risk of
sexual harm and why? What activities are markers for higher risk and
how can we protect those youth who are most vulnerable. This
section explores these topics.
Sexting
Sexting is defined as sending and receiving sexual, nude and semi-
nude images electronically. While there is evidence that sending sexts
is not by itself a harmful activity, significant harm can be done when
these sexts are shared without the original sender’s consent.