Digital Citizenship

What is Digital Citizenship?

Digital citizenship is about how we participate in the digital world. It is the safe, legal, ethical, and responsible use of technology.

In today’s rapidly changing world, this also includes AI Literacy. This means helping students understand how artificial intelligence works, its limitations, and how to make smart, ethical choices when using it.

A good digital citizen is someone who thinks critically and acts responsibly online.

Why is it important?

For many students, the online world and the real world are connected. The skills they learn in one place help them to succeed in the other. Whether they’re working on school projects, gaming, using social media or AI tools, their online interactions and choices build a digital footprint.

Students must be aware of and understand the importance of creating a positive digital footprint.

Digital citizenship is best learned through active, guided practice in the digital world. This helps students become creative thinkers and ethical users of technology.

How can I support Digital Citizenship at home?

Conversations with your child about their digital tool use and their online presence are an essential part of their digital citizenship education. Parents and caregivers play a key role in helping students:

Stay safe
Protect their personal information
Act responsibly online
Think critically about content
Manage their screen time
Build healthy digital habits

The digital world can present challenges. But with the right skills, there are many opportunities to learn, play and stay connected.

Three Tips for Digital Parenting

Talk to your kids.

The best way to keep children safe in the digital world is to be proactive and teach them the necessary skills. Don’t wait until things have already gone wrong to talk to your child about online issues.

Digital citizenship conversations should be ongoing and proactive. It may look like:

Providing guidance on how to deal with problems before they happen
Supporting when things do go wrong
Keeping open communication as children get older
Remind them that they are not on their own and can get help when needed.

It’s never too late to start having these conversations. Check out these tools to begin these conversations at home:

Be a part of your kids’ online world.

To help children succeed, parents are encouraged to be a part of their online world early on. This can look like:

Asking them to show you their favourite games, videos, apps, or creators
Inviting them to teach you how things work
Staying involved and curious

This not only helps you understand their digital world but also builds trust so they will feel safe coming to you for help. If you’re unsure about a tool your child is using, you can use this chart to evaluate an app or website.

Develop family online rules

Rules around using digital tools at home may differ from family to family. When developing these rules, it’s important to:

Create clear guidelines about digital use in their home
Set clear expectations around digital use and online behaviour
Have regular conversations to ensure that your child understands why they are important

Determining what works best for your family and children is up to you. These tools can help guide your family’s online rules: