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The Definition Of Digital Citizenship
by Terry Heick
This post was originally published in 2013 and was updated in December of 2018
As more and more students interact digitally-with content, one another, and various communities-the concept of digital citizenship becomes increasingly important.

Which begs the question: what is digital citizenship?

Well, first citizenship, which is formally defined as "the quality of an individual's response to membership in a community." This makes citizenship far more complex than a simple legal matter, but rather one that consists of self-knowledge, interaction, and intimate knowledge of a place, its people, and its cultural history.

So digital citizenship is nearly the same thing-"the quality of a response to membership in a digital community" would be a good first crack at the definition.

Revising that might more clearly articulate the differences between physical and digital communities, so a decent definition of digital citizenship then might be "Self-monitored participation that reflects conscious interdependence with all (visible and less visible) community members"

But that leaves out the idea of content itself, which leads us to a pretty good definition for educators: "The quality of habits, actions, and consumption patterns that impact the ecology of digital content and communities."

Still too wordy? Maybe a shorter version for students-with some moral imperatives and implied advice-could be: "the self-monitored habits that sustain and improve the digital communities you enjoy or depend on."
Overview
Term: Digital Citizenship

Definition: The quality of habits, actions, and consumption patterns that impact the ecology of digital content and communities.

Examples of Digital Citizenship: Communicating with respect, respecting other's privacy, seeing things from another perspective, adding helpful information/context to a discussion or wiki page, supporting others by offering useful feedback, encouraging them, or sharing work they're proud of, etc.

Big Idea: Treating people, places, and 'spaces' with respect

Related Teaching & Learning Concepts: Empathy, Social Learning, Critical Literacy, Connectivism, Communal Constructivism

Related Teaching & Learning Resources:
63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World Moving Students From Digital Citizenship To Digital Leadership
Related Cultural Trends: Ubiquity of social media, Political 'discussions' on social media platforms, Freedom of Speech, 'Global-Local' social norms (i.e. China/free speech), Blogging, YouTube, Sociocultural equity, Globalization, Mental health, Bullying/Trolling, Clickbait, Critical thinking, 'Fake News'
The Definition Of Digital Citizenship

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The Definition Of Digital Citizenship by Terry Heick This post was originally published in 2013 and was updated in December of 2018 As more and more students interact digitally-with content, one another, and various communities-the concept of digital citizenship becomes increasingly important. Which begs the question: what is digital citizenship ?

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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Check out our Scope & Sequence below to find the right resources for your classroom. The grade-differentiated units spiral to address a cross-curricular approach. Teachers can use the units either sequentially by grade or at any grade level within the band.

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Scope & Sequence: Common Sense K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.