Understanding

Digital Citizenship
& Identity

by Dr. Alec Couros

digital citizenship
‘cyber-safety’
(digital citizenship 1.0)
“Posting personal information online
does not, by itself, appear to be a
particularly risky behaviour.’”

“Social networking sites ... do not

appear to have increased risk of
victimization by online molestors.’”
Sexual predation is a concern ...
existed before the Internet, but is
overblown by the media.

Bullying & harassment are the most

frequent threats faced by minors
both online and offline.
 CONTROL

FEAR

PREDICTABILITY

VULNERABILITY
 “Digital Citizenship is a concept which
helps teachers and technology leaders
understand what students should know to
use technology appropriately. But Digital
Citizenship is more than just a teaching
tool, it is a way to prepare students for a
society full of technology.” (Ribble)
outline
Content
Remix
Identity
Netiquette
Activism
content
1966
1971
1991
1996
2006
 “Pornography makes up 37% of
the total content of the Internet.’”

=
How do we approach educating children & adults
in/of a world where the world’s most offensive
content and behaviour (whatever that means) is
ubiquitous and at most, a few key strokes away?
 How do we as adults begin to explore
the complex environments that contribute
to the development of sexuality in adolescents?
information literacy
\
How do we ensure that learners are critical
creators and consumers of information in all
contexts, online and offline?
remix
not all sharing is illegal or unethical
 “...for all the money, tax revenue and intelligence that Western
governments have at their disposal (they) seemingly cannot get
their heads around a simple enough concept that wherever one
is, someone is watching and recording.”
Zack Whitaker
How do we develop a culture that respects and
understands the rights of both creators and
consumers and the increasingly limited
distinction between these two groups?
identity
 in the past
the way in which we
mediated our identities was
selective, closed, & controlled
“The average digital birth of children
happens at about 6 months.”

“In Canada, US, UK, France Italy,

Germany & Spain ... 81% of children
under the age of two have some kind
of digital profile or footprint.”
Easily Copied Instantly Shared

Easily Edited Viewable by Millions

PRIVATE by DEFAULT

PUBLIC with EFFORT

 “In July 2003, the student’s family filed a $250,000
lawsuit against the family of four of his schoolmates.
The lawsuit stated in part that he “had to endure, and
still endures today, harassment and derision from his
high-school mates and from the public at large.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html
 “parents spotted Facebook
comments she wrote describing
students as ‘germ bags’ and parents
as ‘snobby’ and arrogant.”
 danah boyd

pay attention to ...

•Properties: persistence,
replicability, searchability,
scalability, (de)locatability.

•Dynamics: invisible audiences,

collapsed contexts, blurring of
public & private spaces @zephoria
cameras are everywhere ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg11glsBW4Y
The World is
Watching

http://www.flickr.com/photos/palinopsiafilms/6359719991/sizes/l/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/3356252350/
How do we help students develop
positive digital identities?
‘netiquette’
 “Some of the comments on
Youtube make you weep for the
future of humanity, just for the
spelling alone, never mind the
obscenity and naked hatred.”
@leverus
(Lev Grossman)
“Dear Photograph:Thank you for everything we had.”
God bless you and your family
through this difficult time.
My best attempt, I only
removed the tubing, left
colors and levels alone. I
am sorry for your loss.
I color corrected the
skintones a bit as well.
minor lighting, a 6 x 4 crop for printing in standard size &
removed some of the background.
well done fellow redditors !!!!
Fixed
the
chair
Sorry for the late help. I went
for simplicity. Enjoy - and I
hope you remember her well.
#cookielove
 How do we develop kind and
caring citizens, those with integrity
in both offline and online spaces?
activism
What is the role of teachers/schools in terms of
developing student activism?
conclusion
 slide by
@ransomtech
 Imagine for a second if we taught our teenagers to drive a car in
the same manner we attempt to teach them about social media...

Driving lessons would Driving lessons

NEVER take place in an would only focus on
actual car. what NOT to do.

Driving lessons would be taught by

adults (teachers or parents) with little or
no experience of driving.
Slide by @gcouros ~Dan Haesler
digital citizenship
digital citizenship
digital identity
digital identity
 “Digital citizenship isn’t just about
recognizing and dealing with online
hazards. It’s about building safe spaces &
communities, understanding how to
manage personal information, and about
being Internet savvy - using your online
presence to grow & shape your world in a
safe, creative way, and inspiring others to
do the same.” (Digizen)
 Don’t limit a child to your
own learning, for he was born
in another time. ~Tagore

http://couros.ca
couros@gmail.com
@courosa