Digital Citizenship Week

October 14-18, 2024

*Resources for the week below!*

It's one of my favorite weeks (next to Media Literacy Week and Digital Wellness Day!). Digital Citizenship Week is a momentous occasion to reflect on the vital role we all play in shaping responsible and informed digital citizens. As parents/guardians, educators, and mentors, it's our responsibility to guide our tweens and teens in navigating the complex and often daunting digital landscape. This week, let's delve into core of digital citizenship, emphasizing the connection between digital wellness, online safety, digital media literacy, and overall balance. These essential aspects are the building blocks of responsible and empowered digital citizenship.

Digital Wellness - A Prerequisite for Digital Citizenship

In my honest opinion, the journey towards becoming a responsible digital citizen begins with a foundational concept - digital wellness. That's why I began focusing on digital wellness over digital citizenship, as it really focuses on the values we have for ourselves, first. It's the understanding that our digital habits and behaviors profoundly affect our overall well-being. It's who we are, and who we want to be in the digital world, that then creates impact...positively or negatively. As we engage in various online activities, whether for education, entertainment, or connection, it's crucial to strike a balance. Teaching our children and students about screen time management and mindful tech use is a step toward a healthier relationship with screens.

Online Safety - Safeguarding Digital Lives

In the digital universe, online safety is important, no doubt. Just as we teach our kids to look both ways before crossing the street, take drivers ed, or teach them how to swim, they need to learn the equivalent about being online. This includes recognizing and avoiding cyberbullying, practicing safe social media habits (friending, chatting), and understanding privacy settings (gps locations, personal identifiable information, passwords, etc). Cultivating a strong sense of what digital safety means can help ensure that tweens and teens can more confidently navigate the internet while protecting themselves and their personal information. They are not digital natives, all of this needs to be taught, modeled and worked on over time.

Media Literacy - The Power of Critical Thinking

Media literacy, more specifically digital media literacy, equips tweens and teens with the critical thinking skills they need to navigate an information-rich world. Teaching tweens and teens to discern credible sources from misinformation (which is rampant these days), and to question the content they consume and share, is a key component of digital citizenship. By nurturing digital media literacy, we empower them to engage with their online world a bit more intelligently and ethically (which is in everyone's best interest!).

Balance - The Harmony Between On and Offline Lives

Digital citizenship doesn't just revolve around responsible online behavior; it extends into the real world. Balancing the digital and physical worlds is essential for both mental health and productive living. Encourage your kids and/or students to strike this balance by participating in offline activities, nurturing real-life friendships, and taking breaks from screens. We all need breaks from screens, and there shouldn't be a stigma around "screen-free" time (you know kids cringe when they hear that term). We need to normalize turning off notifications, putting the phones down, engaging in conversations without be affected by the mere presence of our devices.

A Collaborative Effort

The path to digital wellness and digital citizenship is not one that tweens and teens should figure out alone. It's a journey that parents, educators, and mentors must embark upon together. We're always saying, "it takes a village". So why do I hear, all too often, that it's the parents' sole responsibility? Where are our kids for 8 hours a day? Who else holds their captive attention for 8 hours a day? Schools and parents working together ensures that the messages are heard consistently, and from different sources. Kids don't want to only listen to their parents, nor do they want to only listen to their teachers. But a balance between the two, especially with third party validations like research, stats and guest speakers, really helps. Open communication, shared experiences and boundary setting, and the setting of a positive digital example are all essential elements of raising responsible digital citizens.

Resources on Sale This Week

During Digital Citizenship Week, let's strive to foster digital wellness, online safety, media literacy, and balance for our tweens and teens. By providing guidance in these areas, we can empower them to be responsible, ethical, and informed digital citizens. For help in teaching these valuable skills, I've put together resources in digital citizenship for grades 1-4 and 5-8, as well as a digital wellness activity for grades 3-8. I've got workbooks for younger and older, and you can also check out my curriculum scope and sequence to help you with your year long planning, plus much more. If you need a free pdf to send parents about digital wellness? I've got you covered. Of course all of this pair nicely alongside the amazing resources from Common Sense Media.

Heather

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