The Ethics of Digital Citizenship

     From birth until death, our lives is guided by rules and social etiquettes. We have not only our parents, families, and friends to teach us cultural manners, we have the law (society). It is only natural when becoming a citizen of digital technology we learn the acceptable way to conduct ourselves respectfully. Many sites offer safety tip for parents to child and teachers to students. However, anyone young or old can review many of this fun, informative sites. Two online sources that I found to deliver this with fun and firmness in a nonthreatening way are common sense media http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/internet-safety-rules-road-kids and network etiquette http://www.networketiquette.net/digital_citizen_core_rules.html.

     Common sense media displays the rules of being online in the written and video format. The site gives parents advice such as teaching our kids to think long term whether choosing a username to posting a video. The common sense site help in that after parent give the children new phone or any electronic device they teach the rules that a consequence as a kid can follow you for life. However, as many of us adults should be following the same rules. Adults are the ones deem to having common sense, yet they do not display this ‘common sense’ logic. Remember common sense is tasting, seeing, hearing, smelling and touching. It is not politeness, consideration for others and respect for self. Human beings are taught the actions that reflect those words.

    The Netiquette sites gave ten core rules a digital citizen should follow.  They range in discipline from advising you not how to send an email at to avoiding flames which is use to cyberbully digital citizens.   Netiquette addresses the ethical (moral) way to conduct oneself.  Online a person may or may not receive punishment for lying, cheating and snooping but is it right.  I respectfully agree with the author ‘this is unethical” even though people justify this action. 

References:

Perie, L. (2010, March 10). Internet Safety: Rules of the Road for Kids. Retrieved from

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/internet-safety-rules-road-kids

http://www.networketiquette.net/digital_citizen_core_rules.html.