Beyond familiarising ourselves with the technical usage of digital technologies, we should be aware of how we use them, how they influence our lives, and how we should incorporate them more effectively in our work, studies and daily life.
For that, we should consider learning, understanding and practising elements that make up “digital citizenship”.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority defines this concept as “an acceptance and upholding of the norms of appropriate, responsible behaviour with regard to the use of digital technologies”.
By incorporating the fundamentals of digital citizenship in our lives, we will have the skills and knowledge to use technology effectively and positively, without jeopardising our own well-being and taking advantage of other digital technology users.
One of these fundamentals is digital literacy, which demands us to have the competency and the ethical manner to find, evaluate, share, communicate and create content digitally.
Another is digital etiquette, described as the integrity and general responsibility of our actions and even ourselves on the Internet, especially in treating others online like we would in real life.
These two fundamentals, as well as others such as digital footprint and creative credit and copyright, will equip us with skills that are particularly relevant in this digital world, including critical thinking, communication and information management.
It also broadens our world-view by having an in-depth understanding of diverse cultures, languages and communication approaches to be able to empathise and interact with those from different parts of the world.
Practising good digital citizenship, however, takes time and patience, for we need to be comfortable with living in the digital world and understand the importance of utilising digital technology while ensuring that we do not end up being ‘slaves’ to our own devices.
Still, as long as we commit ourselves to becoming a lifelong learner of digital technology, we can be responsible digital citizens as we prepare ourselves better for any technological changes that come our way.
