“If good citizens agree to uphold the laws of the nation, then I choose natural law, the law of reciprocity, of regeneration, of mutual flourishing.” (Braiding Sweetgrass, 173)
Hi, everyone! My name is Amanda and I’m a digital citizen, just like you. I believe that digital spaces should be kind, inclusive, and equitable. I believe that we have a right to privacy. I believe we have a right to connect and feel human. I believe that we should all be allowed to exist in public digital spaces without harm inflicted upon us. Like the quote above from Braiding Sweetgrass, when it comes to digital spaces I choose to work toward a digital world (and real world) of “mutual flourishing.” We all belong, let’s take care of each other.
When engaging with others on digital spaces, whether on the individual level, governmental or business level, we must be working and advocating for the collective good. We have to look out for one another. Currently, businesses and people working in politics are looking out for their best interests. Businesses are looking to collect and sell our data to continue fueling our capitalistic society. We’re being reduced to our data without context, so they can make a profit. The people running for government are collecting our data to see who can get elected. They’ll poll on the issues they care about, using spin in their language, so they can receive the results they’re looking for. Not necessarily the truth, or at least not the full truth. We must look out for each other on an individual level because businesses and political groups don’t care about us on a personal level. They care about our data and what it can do for them, so that they can keep winning. We must use our knowledge to stand up for each other and stand up for what is right. We must work for the collective good. We all matter.
Tips for Being a Good Digital Citizen
Be Kind.
Speak to others from a place of kindness and compassion. You never know everything about a person, especially those you engage with online.
Always Keep Learning.
We all make mistakes. What’s important is what you learn from those mistakes. Ask Questions. Apologize. Listen.
Value Privacy.
Don’t give out your information to strangers on the internet. Watch out for phishing scams. Change your passwords regularly. Protect yourself.
Don’t Be Anonymously Cruel.
It’s easy to be cruel when you’re anonymous. If you wouldn’t say it to their face, you probably shouldn’t be posting it anonymously. Don’t be a bully.
Question Everything.
Check your sources. Always check your sources. And if you’re unsure? Back up what you’ve read with a second or third credible source.
Help When you Can.
Algorithms, as we have learned, are biased. Content created by people from marginalized groups often gets hidden or downplayed by the biased algorithms on social media. Help out by boosting the content from those creators when you can.
After reading Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble, I am feeling incredibly motivated to question the bias of every website I visit and every internet search I perform. In fact, it’s changed how I use the internet on an everyday basis. When I’m shopping for clothes, I’m questioning who the brand is marketing to on their digital platform. Are the models diverse? Is more than one body type represented? When I’m listening to music on Spotify, how does their algorithm work? Am I recommended music based solely on sound? Or is there more at play with bias in the algorithm? What’s the language on each of these sites communicating? Racism, anti-semitism, xenophobia, homophobia, fat phobia, etc. are so ingrained into the algorithms of our digital spaces, that when we take pause to notice the nuance and bias each digital space possesses, it can be overwhelming. But we must take a pause, take a breath, and get to work on creating and bettering the our digital spaces.
For me, it will always be about “mutual flourishing.”