Mater Christi Learning Commons: Digital Citizenship

As soon as students have the ability to go online and post something, they are creating their online reputation with every piece of content that they post. Most of them will enter college, university or the workforce with an established digital trail or footprint.

Here are some good tests to apply to your actions online to ensure that you don't tarnish your online reputation.

1. The Golden Rule:
   Are you treating others the way that you would want to be treated?
2. The Golden Rule 2.0:
   Are you treating others the way that they would want to be treated?
3. The Laws and Policies Test:
   Does what you are doing violate a law?
4. The Everybody Test:
   What if everybody is doing the same thing that you are? Would that change your mind?
5. The Offline Test:
   What is the real world equivalent of what you are doing? Would you be willing to do that activity in the real world or make the same comment to the person's face?
6. The Real Name Test:
   How would you change your behavior if you knew that your real name would be associated with it?
7. The Emotion Test:
   Are you doing something to someone because you are angry, jealous, or otherwise emotionally charged?
8. The Whole World Test:
   Would you be comfortable with the whole world knowing what you are doing?
9. The "Get It?" Test:
   Is what you are trying to say hard to convey online? If it were misinterpreted, might it be hurtful?
10. The Tenth Test:
    The final test is Your Test. This is the test that matters most. Consider how what you are doing reflects on you as a person. What does it say about you? Do you like what it says about you? Does it reinforce the notion of the person that you want to be?

[source]

Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use.

A digital citizen accepts and understands the rights and responsibilities of inhabiting ‘cyberspace’, including online safety.

1. Use a non-descript picture as an icon
2. Don't post personal details online
3. Don't friend anyone whom you have not met in real life
4. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Some things are best said in person and in private.
5. Use social media for good and not evil.

Check your privacy settings on facebook regularly to ensure what you post is private.

Fun fact: Anything uploaded to Facebook becomes property of Facebook!

It is advisable to make your Instagram account PRIVATE to manage who can see your images.