Teaching Citizenship in the Digital Age
Not so long ago, teaching students the importance of good citizenship amounted to topics surrounding community and government involvement, as well as their responsibilities within these groups. Discussions were held and lessons were delivered about how movements throughout the years have changed the course of history and how people can make a difference by exercising their duty to vote.
While these are still crucially important topics to be taught today, the topic of citizenship has grown to also include behaviors and responsibilities in our digital world. Educators and parents alike must recognize and address the need to teach students today about how to become responsible citizens in both the digital and non-digital world. If we ignore this pressing need, we fail our students now and possibly for generations to come. If we don't teach them good habits at a young age, they will certainly learn through mistakes later. In most situations and subjects, I strongly believe that mistakes offer an incredible opportunity for learning. However, mistakes of a digital citizenship nature can have lasting effects on all involved parties and are not mistakes from which I wish to see students learn.
If you doubt the need to educate students about the importance of digital citizenship, just search for how social media posts can affect job or college applications - you might be surprised! According to a 2018 CareerBuilder survey, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process.
Technology has dramatically changed the way we study, work, collaborate, and socialize. It can be a powerful tool, but we must make sure our students today - leaders tomorrow - learn to use it respectfully to create a brighter future.
For more information regarding digital citizenship lessons, visit Common Sense Media.
~Melisa
