Digital citizenship refers to the desired behavior that must be shown when interacting with others online, using digital tools to engage in politics, government, and society. The need to teach digital citizenships in classrooms is crucial in a society where using technology is a norm, and much communication is done online. Here are few reasons that stress the importance of teaching digital citizenship to children.
Digital literacy:
In today’s society, where technology is evolving at a great pace, students need to be digitally literate to be able to comprehend this complex world. They must be aware of the digital resources and their proper use to play a beneficial role in society. Digital literacy also involves making students socially responsible when communicating online on different social sites. The significance of digital literacy for students is greater than any other time and will increase further in the future. Teachers must equip students with this technological skill at an early age so that they do not lag behind other students in the world.
Information literacy:
The internet provides an ocean of information on various topics to students. The smart use of this information becomes a challenge for most of the students, especially younger students. Although they find a lot of information yet, they are clueless about the analysis, evaluation, classification, and the best use of that searched data. It is vital to building the ability to evaluate the information critically in them. They should know about the authentic and credible sources of information to avoid the risk of misinformation. Also, they should be able to judge the perceived information based on its relevance to their topic.
Preventing cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying is a hot issue nowadays, and it causes deep psychological impacts to the bullied specifically and negatively impacts society in general. It is the teachers’ responsibility to teach and guide their students on behaving ethically while using online platforms. They must be aware of the basic manners and etiquette of online interaction. Not only this, but they should also know about how to deal with bullies online, where to get help, how to report the bullies properly to make sure this doesn’t happen with someone else. In short, they must help themselves and others, playing a positive role in society’s betterment.
Online Security:
Online safety and security is an issue of great concern. With the expanded use of technology, the risk of privacy invasion also increases. Students must have adequate knowledge on how to use social sites safely. It will make them confident with the use of technology. Without the proper knowledge, their online security will always be at risk. It will make them reluctant to use technology and thus lag behind others. Teachers should teach students methods to secure their online presence, refrain from giving their personal information on unsecured websites, and seeking adults’ guidance when needed. Essay Writing Service UK also offers an online platform to the students for instant academic help and the best thing is its security and confidentiality.
Physical and psychological well-being:
We cannot ignore the negative impact of excessive use of technology on individuals’ physical and psychological health. These impacts are so strong that they alter the entire lifestyle of the affected person. Young students, being more prone to society’s negative influence, must be educated properly to maintain their physical and mental well-being. As we all know, technology can be addictive if not used under proper supervision. This addiction harms every other aspect and activity of life also. If not used properly, the excessive use of technology can cause insomnia, dietary issues, ergonomic issues, eyesight problems, depression, anxiety, and other mental issues. Teachers should educate students to prioritize their physical and mental health as a part of their citizenship responsibility. They should know how to manage their time to give adequate time to daily routine activities and follow a healthy schedule.
Digital responsibility:
Being a part of this digital world, each citizen is digitally responsible for abiding by the rules and regulations for the ample use of technology. Students must know what their duties and responsibilities are as digital citizens. They should know what their horizons are and what their limitations are. Teachers must guide them about the efficient use of technology with responsibility. Making them digitally responsible will help to cope with the problem of misuse of technology.
Multitasking:
In this fast-growing world, the pace of daily routine tasks has also increased. To meet this speed, one should be capable of multitasking in the digital world. Students are young, energetic, and motivated to show the world their abilities and talents. Teachers should train them in the right way to be able to perform multiple tasks at a time without compromising on the quality of their work. In the long-term, it will have notable impacts on a student’s abilities. It will also provide them an edge in the market. Otherwise, he will find himself inferior to others who are excellent at multitasking.
Practical application:
The effectiveness of a lesson increases if it is incorporated with practical examples. Digital citizenship is a part of our real lives. Students come across it multiple times in a day. As practical knowledge is important with theory, so is theory important for practical. It is essential to guide students properly about digital citizenship and their due role as digital citizens. Without this knowledge, he will be more prone to making errors and may deviate from the right path to use the technology. Having adequate digital citizenship knowledge will provide them with opportunities to grow and learn more.
Growth opportunities:
Due to the magnificent scope of digitalization, there are many opportunities in this field for everyone and especially students. Those who are literate with this knowledge have these growth opportunities at their disposal. However, those who are not properly educated about digital citizenship may lose these valuable chances to progress and prosper.
Future prospectus:
The future of the world lies in extreme digital development. With the current digitalization pace, it is evident that technology and digitalization will expand to much greater horizons shortly. In this prospectus, teachers and instructors should educate the students for the present world and the future. They must have adequate digital citizenship knowledge to have a fair share in the future. It will also enable them to play a constructive role in the progress and development of their country.