# data[].attributes.body
This article goes over statistical information regarding the amount of time young adults spend using technology in today's digital world. It also touches on the importance of educating these children on how to go about navigating the internet safely and responsibly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Viewpoint

Digital Citizenship: From Compliance to Culture

By Jeff Mao

My oldest son just started his senior year in high school. The night before his last "first day," I was looking for the annual photo of the occasion from his kindergarten year. I scrolled back through my Facebook posts only to discover - face-palm moment - I didn't use Facebook 13 years ago. I also I didn't have a cell phone with a camera then either. How quickly the world is changing around us, especially the technology and its use.

According to a 2015 study from the Pew Research Center, 92 percent of teens are online daily, and 24 percent of them describe their use as "almost constantly." In a Common Sense study, teens also report spending nine hours a day (with tweens ages 8-12 reporting six hours a day) using media and the internet - not including time spent on school work. Looking deeper at the data, we find that TV is still the dominant medium, with 58 percent of teens reporting daily viewing.

So, we know that traditional and internet media are central to the lives of our kids. Does it matter? The simple answer is yes. TV viewing can shape how children develop their sense of self. Research suggests that TV viewing can teach girls that their bodies exist to be sexualized and even that women are partially responsible for their own sexual assaults.

Additionally, kids report that they struggle to discern fact from fiction online when presented with "news." While kids say they prefer to get their news from social media, they also reveal that they trust and get most of their news from parents, teachers and other adults. Unfortunately, according to Pew Research, the majority of adults are getting their news from social media - and mostly from a single social media site. That can be problematic, as one analysis showed that leading into the 2016 presidential election, engagement with fake news stories outpaced real news stories on Facebook. So, are the adults actually helping kids discern fact from fiction?

While this may appear to paint a bleak picture, I see it as a call to action! As educators, our role is to help students learn to be safe, responsible and thoughtful digital citizens. Some may argue that digital citizenship instruction isn't a priority for schools or districts without 1-to-1 computing programs. Others may acknowledge the need for digital citizenship instruction but provide only compliance-level lip service with a single school assembly or require signatures on an unread Acceptable Use Policy. However, as I've outlined above, our students are watching TV and interacting online daily, and it is having an impact.

It's critical that schools recognize the importance of teaching digital citizenship and building a healthy school culture that includes responsible and thoughtful use of media and the internet among students and adults. Building a community's culture takes more than providing instruction; it takes a systematic intentional approach that engages the entire community of students, educators and parents.

Planning and Implementing a District Digital Citizenship Program

The first step to a successful program is establishing a shared vision for digital citizenship in your school community. It's important that this vision is understood and shared because the end result of the work is a community that absorbs and exhibits shared norms of behavior. While there are academic curricula available to aid with student instruction, this is less about completing lessons and scoring well on assessments and more about developing habits of mind and behaviors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
examples of digital citizenship best practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Digital Citizenship: From Compliance to Culture -- THE Journal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Viewpoint By Jeff Mao My oldest son just started his senior year in high school. The night before his last "first day," I was looking for the annual photo of the occasion from his kindergarten year. I scrolled back through my Facebook posts only to discover - face-palm moment - I didn't use Facebook 13 years ago.

# data[].attributes.body
This infographic gives nine qualities of a good digital citizen. Along with the initial statement on the left, there are statistical information and facts on the right side to support the claims of the qualities.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a brief overview of digital citizenship. Be sure to pay attention to the importance of each element in the video.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Digital Citizenship? | Common Sense Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What Is Digital Citizenship? is a video from Common Sense Education. Use this video to help your students learn and thrive in our connected world.