5 Ways The Utah Tech Industry Can Benefit From Digital Citizenship
1. What is digital citizenship?
First off, what is digital citizenship? It’s something the tech industry is involved in, but may not call it that. Digital citizenship can be defined in different ways. Broadly, it’s the ethical and responsible use of technology.
Utah was the first state in the country to adopt a law around digital citizenship in May 2015. According to Utah law, digital citizenship is ‘the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to technology use, including digital literacy, ethics, etiquette, and security.”
Michelle Linford, Executive Director of the nonprofit EPIK: Deliberate Digital adds, “digital citizenship includes deliberate efforts to use digital tools to make positive contributions in one’s sphere of influence — to not just use technology wisely, but to use it to do good.”
2. Why is digital citizenship important?
The tech industry is aware of why STEM skills are important. They need people with those skills to develop new innovation and fill jobs. But STEM without digital citizenship is only part of what makes a well-rounded, adaptable and competent worker.
Linford says “Digital citizenship focuses on character and pro-social development, ethics, and online smarts — all of which are critical for an effective workforce. Technical skill development without personal development can leave our youth unprepared for the complexities — and opportunities — of our digital world.”
3. What is our responsibility?
Much of the discussion around the importance digital citizenship revolves around online safety, and the responsibilities there, but it’s far more than that.
Robert Warren, Math/Engineering Department Chair at the American Academy of Innovation addresses digital citizenship from a teaching and learning perspective. He said that teachers know about online learning opportunities but “also know the responsibilities are more complex in an inherently global setting, especially when information and interactions move at the touch of a key.”
There is more information and methods of communication available than ever before in human history, but quantity does not always mean quality.
Warren goes on to say “any time students are involved, the stakes are high and the complexities and speed of the online world present unprecedented challenges that parents, teachers, and students are having to deal with in real-time, so that everyone involved, including technology providers, must come to grips with and help people understand what it means to be a digital citizen.”
4. What makes Utah unique in the digital citizenship community?
Utah is the first state to have any kind of law around digital citizenship, and other states are looking to us to define what that means. Soon after Utah’s HB213 law was passed, other states have followed suit including Connecticut, New Jersey and Washington. We have the unique opportunity to showcase to not only the US, but the world what digital citizenship can mean in practice, and broaden the definition beyond online safety.
5. Utah is hosting the National Digital Citizenship Summit
Because of the work that Utah is doing on digital citizenship, it was chosen as the host of the flagship National Digital Citizenship Summit. On November 2 and 3, leaders in the digital citizenship community will be coming from all around the world to Utah to participate. The conversations and work done at this summit will be used to push the movement forward, and guide other future Summits around the world.
The Utah tech community is a vital part of this movement. The work of digital citizenship needs cross-sectors to come together with students to showcase how technology can be used for good.
If you want to know more about the work of digital citizenship and/or the National Digital Citizenship Summit contact Michelle Linford at michelle@epik.org or the author at carrie@respons-ability.net
