For generations, children have learned about citizenship and personal responsibility at school and at home, from teachers and classmates, from family members, neighbors and their houses of worship. Common lessons include how to treat others and how to keep themselves safe — looking both ways before crossing the street, for example, or not taking candy from strangers.
Through both repetition and trial and error, most children gradually learn to be good citizens of their communities and the world at large. In today’s digital age, the lessons of citizenship are no different. Only now, students (and many of the sources from which they acquire this critical information) live online as well.
Digital citizenship describes how we act and interact, both online and off. It encompasses critical thinking, online safety, ethics, digital literacy and media creation, among other 21st century skills. At its core, being a good digital citizen means using technology appropriately and participating in online society in a responsible way. For educators, digital citizenship applies to nearly every subject they teach and is an essential component of the modern curriculum.
That’s why the FTC has produced Living Life Online, a free booklet that explains how the choices they make matter, online and off. Short articles, activities, quizzes, and an ask-the-expert column are meant to help kids learn how to be good digital citizens, stay safer online, and apply critical thinking skills to the advertising that’s around them. Kids get ideas on what to do about bullying, learn about cell phone bill shock, and consider some dilemmas that might spur discussion with their friends or adults.
You can find the guide and activities at ftc.gov/livinglifeonline, or order your free copies!
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