My Guide to Digital Citizenship
Hi, name is Alex Gudino, a student at the University of Oregon studying marketing. I enjoy sports, business, hiking and learning new things. Most importantly, I’m a life long internet user, the digital world has been implemented within my daily operations since elementary school. The digital world is a place in which millions of users share, with any shared space there must be rules and regulations in order to maintain a safe and respectful environment. The digital world has fundamentally altered the real world. Many of us have grown up and been thrown into the digital environment, forcing us to become familiar and comfortable with exploring new paths. As we navigate the complex digital world and its ever-changing variables, how many people have stopped to reflect, do I truly understand what it means to be a digital citizen? This is a subject I had very minimal knowledge about prior to this course, I had to ask myself, what is my role in digital citizenship?
Although the digital world is perceived as a separation from our reality, the truth is it is an extension of our real world. Real life people are using technological devices to communicate back and forth with other users. Just like any physical shared living spaces, rules and regulations must be put in place in order to maintain a healthy environment in which all users may benefit from. The essay titled “Maple Nation: A Citizenship Guide” written by author Robin Kimmerer really put this idea into perspective. Stating “Kerm would probably answer with two terse words of resentment: pay taxes. And he’s right, being a citizen does mean sharing in the support of your community.” This shifted my ideology, at first I believed it would be hard to reach unity within a large scale group, however, people are already making small contributions for the “greater good.” Paying taxes is something that all United States citizens must do, although many people have several opinions regarding this topic, this is a contribution everybody makes to the community. Maintaining order requires that everybody within the community does the best to play their role and contribute in a positive manner. A large population acknowledging the same rules is a step in the right direction. Maintaining or becoming a good digital citizen requires several steps. Although people may have varying opinions, these are some foundational factors to becoming a good digital citizen:
Be Respectful: Be respectful to any and everyone. There are millions of users in the digital world, people are bound to disagree with one another’s opinions. Please be mindful of other people’s feelings and don’t say anything you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Be Mindful Of Other’s Differences: The digital world is a culmination of almost all nations across the world. People come from different cultures and backgrounds that one must be courteous about. Cultural and background differences may lead to a mix of attitudes and morals. Although this is very similar to the first point, understanding cultural and societal differences is very important.
Don’t Share Too Much: The internet is a great place because you can reach an audience that you may have never reached without it. With great power comes great responsibility. Do not share any personal information about yourself as you never know what people may do with that information Don’t share anything you wouldn’t want millions of people to know.
Check Your Sources: Checking the validity of sources is crucial within the digital world. With so many outputs available today, it is important to understand the difference between a reliable source and unreliable source. Make sure to check the date, author’s background, and publisher before considering using information from a site.
Utilize tools: The rate of available technological programs is growing at an exponential rate. There are several programs available to help aide in aspects such as reading, writing, analyzing, constructing, and more. Technology is a gift that not very many people have access to, make sure to put yours to a good use.