There was a time not too far in the past when one's social life was geographically limited to their hometown. A traveler would venture a few towns over, or jump aboard a train and set off to another world to seldom be heard from again. The world was big, and we were small, and travel was taxing, dangerous, and arduous.
Depending on where you are in the world, this lifestyle may have been the way you yourself grew up. Venturing beyond small rural communities was something that happened, but was not necessarily the norm. However, the numbers make me feel inclined to say this is not the case anymore. I reckon you are connected to the digital world, you have a phone in your pocket, or a device at home, and it lights up and vibrates with notifications from group chats, it rings with incoming video call requests, it nudges you to view content your friends just shared to social media. Case and point ... you are reading this online right now. A socially sedent lifestyle void of constant connection is going the way of the Tamagotchi, the cassette player, and faux wood wallpaper - meeting someone who is not "plugged in online" is a rare occurrence these days, and depending on your location in the world, almost impossible.
Can You Hear Me Now? Good. An Increasingly Connected World?
The world today has become intimately integrated with technology. DataReportal's most recent report on global online activity for the year 2023, generated with source data from government organizations, the United Nations, and other credible sources, has reported over 69% of the global population now own a mobile phone; over 64% of individuals are using the internet to some capacity; and over 60% are signed up for some form of social media.
These stats are ... impressive ... terrifying ... optimistic? And these numbers will only continue to grow with projects like Starlink bringing internet access to move and move communities and people. The majority of the global population has some form of digital identity. We are not only members of own our families, of our community, of our nation, but of the globe. We are global citizens, and what's more, we are global digital citizens.
This is an unavoidable aspect of our collective reality now, the digital world has become part of who we are, how we live, the way we think and behave. As computer technology has creeped into everyday society the past few decades, there has been some resistance to its adoption - understandably so. A digital identity can be a scary concept to most: who is seeing what I share, is my information safe, what was so bad about the old way of doing things anyway?
A New Age Generational Citizenship
I myself, despite being part of the last crop of the Millennial generation, have been a staunch opposer to many aspects of online activity and social media. However, in recent years, my perspective has shifted as I have taken the time to better understand the online world we all share and participate in. No longer is a resistance a logical approach to tech anymore. We mustn't resist its influence, but should instead learn to embrace it and integrate it ethically and effectively into our lives, to enhance our existence and to increase the quality of life for all citizens.
But don't take my word for it, think about it for yourself. What is digital citizenship, what should I know about it, where are my boundaries, how do my ethics translate to this digital space? We mustn't blindly adopt something we don't understand, doing so, as one of my idols Carl Sagan put it, is to expose ourselves to be fooled by some charlatan, and he continues to say “we live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.” To hear more about this wise perspective, have a quick listen to the video below.
If you have some of these questions and concerns, you aren't alone. Many people, in both formal and informal capacities, have raised these same queries surrounding our use of technology. For example, Ribble (2015) outlined 9 Rules for Citizenship in the Digital Age, and how they translate to the world of ones and zeroes. Take a moment to scan the below graphic while sipping on your tea or coffee, and see how it sits with you.
Image Source: ISTE Digital citizenship resources
Embracing My Digital Citizenship
I believe it is worthwhile for everyone to take time to reflect on these rules, to challenge them, to think about what these rules mean to them and how they sit with their worldview.
Digital citizenship is part of who we are today, and as more and more of the global population integrate the digital world into their lives, the need to understand and be comfortable in this space is imperative.
What challenges do you foresee with Ribbles (2015) rules? Should any be revised? Is there one that you think would be harder to uphold than others, and which do you think is most commonly broken? Let me know in the comments below.
By pushing ourselves to be better digital citizens, we can ensure we are keeping on the precipice of the online world. This may be the best way to ensure we are the ones in control, and not being heralded along by big tech, or the world of artificial intelligence. We must be comfortable in the digital space, we must know our own boundaries and limitations, and in doing so, we encourage and foster a healthy relationship with the digital world.
References:
Ribble, M. (2015) Digital Citizenship in Schools. 3rd edition, Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education
Smith, J. (2023, September 28). Carl Sagan on science and government - Charlie Rose [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8O1e_TZHZo&ab_channel=evelkidnievel
We Are Social & Meltwater (2023) “Digital Around The World” retrieved from
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