Digital citizenship is multifaceted behavior that informs how students use and interact with technology and information. Good digital citizenship is based on instruction, information, and experience rather than assumptions. It encompasses physical, emotional, and intellectual interaction with technology and its applications; it impacts skills, attitudes, and behaviors when online.
AASL standards and NETS-S are less concerned with the specifics of technology - the platforms and applications - than the approaches to and outcomes of technology use. These standards portray a holistic user who, with instruction, is knowledgeable, independent, and ethical on a variety of devices and in a variety of applications. Technology users should be expected to think critically, act responsibly, and apply what they know in a variety of circumstances. And because technology use is seldom in isolation but instead for communication and collaboration, the ethics of social interaction (social media), use of others' work, and protection of privacy (both of oneself and of others) are all significant components of responsible digital citizenship.
Digital citizenship is not confined to students and schools, of course. By creating model digital citizens as students, we (educators/librarians) produce users who know how to use technology appropriately in many different situations. We influence tomorrow's technology leaders. Furthermore, we
recognize that learning needs to occur on both sides. Good digital citizens are always learning,
always evaluating new technologies and new applications. Technology is not static, and our definitions
and uses must likewise be dynamic. But
the need to adhere to basic principles of digital citizenship – adherence to the
law, security, etiquette, and basic literacy – remains constant.
