Being an exemplary digital citizen is essential today no matter who you are or what role you play in the online world. Many traits With that in mind, we can narrow this down to a few points to make sure that we demonstrate only the traits of an exemplary digital citizen. 1. Who do you want to be? From parents, friends' parents, to future employers and college admissions offices, everyone will view the type of digital citizen that you choose to be. If you portray yourself in a different manner than reality, those that view the online "you" are going to make judgements based on what they see there; we must all be aware of the ideas we leave online about ourselves. Our "online escapades" are not private. Also, remember, once it is online, it is always online. There is no such thing as completely deleting information that we have posted online; that information becomes shared property! Teachers Alliance states the following about our online posts: "Have you heard the saying the “Internet is forever?” You may think you can easily hit delete, and what you sent goes away. But it truly doesn’t. Be aware and learn why the Internet is permanent" (2016). I always give my students the same piece of advice, whether they are online students or in a brick and mortar building- you are the person you are when no one is watching. Nothing is completely private, so always be the person that you want to BE. 2. Would you sign your name to it? Along the same lines, there are many ways to post information to the internet anonymously, and in my opinion, there is no reason we should want to leave information without our name posted to it. While we must be very careful and private with our information, we must also remember that we should never post something that does not make us proud enough to sign our name to it. I tell my son this about every day of his life: don't walk away until the job is done so that you feel proud signing your name to it. This is important. Are you embarrassed of it what you have said/done? Is it done to the very best of your ability? Do you mind anyone knowing that you said it/did it? Maybe you would say, "well, I don't mind that my customers see it, but I don't think my boss would like it." Then change it! If you are not proud enough to put your name on it, it is not what you want it to be! And that is not who you want to be! 3. Says who? Always treat information found on the web with question marks. Look everything up, use multiple different sources. Just because the information is out there, does mean it is true. Being honest is a trait that all people should strive for, and repeating information that is false looks just as bad on you as the source where the information originated. Researching something means questioning everything. As a personal anecdote, my husband always jokes with me when he gives me information that he found online. Hours after he shares something with me, he will ask "What did Google have to say about it?" because he knows that I will check all information. Now, I am not relying on one specific source, but I am always certain to check multiple sources if those sources are unknown to me. If the sources are known, I must consider who they are and their reputation as I come to my own conclusions. 4. Does it feel right? Many times we have "gut feelings" about situations, and most of the time, we are right. Always think things through, but you know when something feels eery, it's not ok. This can go for anything... communication with people that you do not know, sharing too much personal information, giving out names/information about others, people that know a little more about you than you are comfortable with... there are many circumstances that will leave us with an uneasy feeling, and we should always heed those instincts. Just because it is "just online" does not mean that no harm can come of it. In fact, it is quite the opposite. When something does make you feel uncomfortable the next question you should ask yourself is: What should I do about it? Report it. Tell someone. Copy the interaction and save it. Don't think that just because it is based on only a feeling that it is invalid! At least share the incident with an adult and allow them to pursue it! Your digital footprint is your legacy. Remember that. Is it what you would want others to think of you? Does it exemplify the person you want to be? Teachers Alliance (2016). Teachhub.com: 10 Things your students should know about their digital footprints. Another image I found that incorporates the traits of an exemplary digital citizen is the following:
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