We hold these truths to be self-evident...

We are still in the middle of a long running major societal trauma. Technology (i.e. social media) has so enamored us as well as overwhelmed us. A lot of our society is still deciding how we feel about it. We are still processing all of this ‘information’. Some of us have decided to avoid it as much as possible only using it when there is no other option. Others have completely embraced technology and use the newest gadgets at will while a good amount of us are still on the fence cautiously optimistic about technology of any form; just waiting for the dust to settle so we can sort out what items have stood the test of time and can be trusted (Lenhart 2015). 

Technology like anything has its pros and cons. I personally believe that the pros far outweigh the

cons, but both must be examined constantly because this is a fast evolving area. It is a lot like parenting. The minute you get comfortable with how things work with your child there is a shift and new variables are added. So it calls for us to do a lot of what the Ribble text (2015) asks, which is to think in terms of categories and principles and let those principles guide us. As Americans that is the foundation of our country. So teaching digital citizenship is really an opportunity to look at our country's history and reflect on those principles in today's context. As we declared our independence almost 250 years ago our founders made it a point to mention....

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." (US 1776)

If that is true then we all need access to today's digital world. With the majority of our society interacting in an online environment socially, professionally, and financially, we need to make sure that we do not have any citizens feeling like a fraction of that. We must work harder to provide equity. And when we consider the right to the pursuit of happiness that brings up an important topic of teaching Digital Citizenship with a mindset of empathy and kindness. The concept of the pursuit of happiness was based off of the British philosopher John Locke who in his Second Treatise on Government (1689) discusses that pursuit and his intention was to discuss that you have the right to pursue happiness so long as it does not impinge upon anyone else's pursuit of happiness. Thus when we think about digital communication (cyberbullying, scamming, trolling or ghosting), we need to use those same principles to guide us. We need to think before we post and just because that impulsive tweet may make us feel a sensation of joy with each like or laugh; if it will affect another person's right to happiness then it is in violation of what we should be doing to one another. If we attack digital citizenship education with those guiding principles and we all can agree to start with the same foundation as the history of our original citizenship then we can move forward in harmony; together. By making this an interdisciplinary concern we can involve the whole school community. All stakeholders have a role. We must model the society we want to see online or otherwise. We must value honesty, tolerance and transparency.

Digital Citizenship: Communication

Digital citizenship is defined as the norms for how one should interact in the digital world. As a classroom teacher I am increasingly concerned with the way communication has changed. It is of paramount importance that we adults begin our focus on helping today’s young people learn proper boundaries for communication. Just because you can communicate with someone 24/7 does not mean you should. This unlimited access to communication is causing some tears in the fabric of our society. Students today have a hard time setting boundaries. This is not just merely an academic issue, it is also a safety issue as well as a social justice issue. We adults need to find important moments to teach valuable lessons to today’s youth on proper communication.

How can we go about this? Well it will depend upon our role within society. Let’s explore some common scenarios that are prime examples of how to best model good communication. First, let us begin with teachers. We must hold students accountable in the classroom. Students today often find themselves getting lost in a digital wonderland instead of paying attention in class. We must not only plan engaging lessons, but we must also enforce rules for proper class etiquette. Students need to see that they cannot divide their attention and still function in our class, much in the same way they should not be texting and driving. Our working memory can only handle so much stimuli. It has serious limits. Thus not only do police need to do their best to enforce texting and driving; and yes perhaps cameras will be able to capture drivers violating this in the future and deliver tickets online, but self regulation must be taught. Just as the latest insurance commercial hints which parodies the concept of “smart dogs” trained to knock devices out of the drivers hands like superheros. Also, business owners need to have strict policies with their employees so that they can ensure they are getting the work they are paying for. If employees are allowed to surf on their phones, then will work get done to level expected?

I think we can all agree that parents are really the most important cog in this machine since they are the ones who usually have the most time under tension and have a certain innate respect from their children as a part of their birthright.There are a multitude of opportunities to set boundaries such as dinner table etiquette, which can help prepare students for in class interactions without checking their phones. Parents by not using their phone while driving can help set a good tone for what is good driving. Parents can also have important discussions on security and health. They can enforce important guidelines for bedtime and limit device usage during the hours when they need to be sleeping. Parents also need to not contact students during school hours via text. Often times this is very convenient, but it can cause confusion for students and then creates an excuse as to why they need to check their phones. I really hope that as we move forward we can use reason and logic to guide these discussions. By providing good consistent modeling combined with clear consequences we can help set the discipline students need. We can all be doing more. Technology is wonderful, but moderation is the key to life. Just because I could find a restaurant open at 3AM does not mean I should be eating at 3AM. We need to learn self regulation. This is no different than any other time in history, but what is different is the media through which we communicate. We used to rely on natural barriers such as not being in the same class or fear of getting yelled at by your friend’s dad for calling too late or during dinner is no longer relevant. There has been a major paradigm shift and we are now searching for the light in the dark. We are bound to bump into some proverbial furniture along the way.