Category Archives: digital citizenship

Digital Citizenship: Shaping the Future One Element at a Time

Mike Ribble

Last week, we had the privilege of hearing from Mike Ribble, the author and digital citizenship expert who outlined the 9 elements of digital citizenship. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when considering the breadth of digital responsibility required of today’s students (and even adults). From digital access to cyberbullying, the scope of these elements covers much of what we interact with online daily.

One of the key takeaways from Ribble’s talk was how crucial it is to approach teaching digital citizenship just like any other subject—one step at a time. Just as we wouldn’t throw a math student into calculus without first teaching them basic arithmetic, we shouldn’t expect students to navigate the complexities of the digital world without breaking it down for them.

The Evolving Role of Ribble’s 9 Elements in Digital Citizenship

Ribble’s 9 elements of digital citizenship are designed to help educators and students understand how to engage with the digital world responsibly. But as technology evolves, these elements must also adapt. For example, Ribble talked about Meta’s (formerly Facebook) introduction of a teen Instagram with guardrails—protections that many argue should have existed long ago. These guardrails were a response to growing concerns about how teens navigate social media, but the fact that they were loosened shortly after the app’s launch highlights a broader issue: Are tech companies doing enough to protect young users? And how do we, as educators, ensure that our students are safe, savvy, and social?

In the classroom, we can’t rely solely on tech companies to do the heavy lifting. Ribble’s 9 elements help lay the foundation for responsible digital engagement by focusing on digital safety, literacy, and social responsibility. As we move forward, these elements will likely evolve to include deeper discussions around artificial intelligence, data privacy, and algorithmic biases—topics that are becoming increasingly important in the digital landscape.

The Three S’s: Safe, Savvy, and Social

One of the most memorable aspects of Ribble’s talk was his emphasis on the three S’s of digital citizenship—safe, savvy, and social. These three principles are the bedrock of what it means to be a responsible digital citizen:

  1. Safe: Ensuring students understand cybersecurity, from password management to recognizing phishing attempts, is crucial in an era where cyberattacks are more common than ever.
  2. Savvy: Being digitally literate isn’t just about knowing how to use technology, but understanding how to critically engage with content. This includes distinguishing between reliable sources and misinformation—a skill that documentaries like those mentioned in the readings from Never Gallery Ready and Zanniee emphasize.
  3. Social: Being ethical online involves understanding the impact of one’s actions on others. Whether it’s practicing kindness in a social media comment section or reporting harmful content, students need to be taught the responsibilities that come with having an online presence.

These three pillars encapsulate the broader 9 elements of digital citizenship and make them more accessible to students and educators alike.

Challenges in Implementing the 9 Elements

While Ribble’s framework offers a comprehensive approach to digital citizenship, it’s not without challenges. One of the biggest hurdles educators face is that technology is constantly changing. How do you teach something that seems to evolve overnight? For example, Instagram’s guardrails for teens were loosened shortly after they were introduced, showing how unpredictable the digital landscape can be.

Another challenge is that many educators feel ill-prepared to teach digital literacy, particularly when they themselves might not be fully comfortable with emerging technologies. Ribble emphasized the importance of working with colleagues to grow knowledge and confidence in teaching digital citizenship. This collaborative approach can help educators support each other and create a more unified front in addressing digital issues in the classroom.

Additionally, many students come from homes where digital citizenship isn’t a priority, and parents may not be equipped to guide their children. This places even more responsibility on teachers to fill the gaps in students’ understanding of online safety and responsibility.

Mitigating Challenges

So, how can we mitigate these challenges? For one, we need to shift the mindset that digital citizenship is an “extra” or something that can be taught in a single lesson. It needs to be woven into every aspect of education, much like math or language arts. This gradual, consistent approach ensures that students are building their digital skills over time, rather than in isolated lessons.

Educators also need more support from school administrations in the form of professional development. Providing teachers with ongoing training and resources helps ensure that they are comfortable with both the technology and the pedagogy behind teaching digital citizenship. Ribble’s 9 elements can serve as a guide to structuring these training programs.

Resources and Support for Promoting Digital Citizenship

To effectively promote digital citizenship, schools need a combination of resources, collaboration, and practical tools. Here are a few ideas based on Ribble’s talk and the assigned readings:

  1. Media Literacy Documentaries: The documentaries recommended in the readings from Never Gallery Ready and Zanniee offer powerful insights into media literacy. These resources can help students critically analyze the content they encounter online, from recognizing deep fakes to understanding the influence of social media algorithms.
  2. Collaborative Learning: As Ribble mentioned, educators should collaborate with each other to enhance the teaching of digital citizenship. Schools could create cross-curricular projects where students apply digital citizenship principles across different subjects, reinforcing the idea that these skills are essential in every part of life.
  3. Engaging with Parents: Schools can provide parents with workshops or resources to help them understand their role in promoting digital citizenship at home. This includes teaching parents how to set boundaries around screen time, online privacy, and helping their children develop good online habits.
  4. Safe Social Media Practices: Finally, educators can encourage students to use social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook responsibly by teaching them about privacy settings, reporting harmful content, and recognizing when to log off.

Conclusion: One Element at a Time

Digital citizenship may seem like a daunting task to tackle in today’s educational settings, but as Ribble pointed out, it’s all about breaking it down one element at a time. With a clear focus on safety, literacy, and social responsibility, educators can help students navigate the digital world confidently and ethically. By working together and utilizing the right resources, we can ensure that the future of digital citizenship is bright, empowering students to be safe, savvy, and social—both online and off.

Furthermore, to read more specific examples of how to connect curriculum please visit a previous blog of mine here.

There are lots of blog posts to come, don’t wander too far!

“Snap, Tweet, Post, Repeat: How Not to Lose Your Mind (or Privacy) in the Social Media Jungle”

Ah, social media. That delightful place where we can share everything from our breakfast burritos to our existential crises, all while accumulating likes, followers, and the occasional “Did you really post that?” message from Mom. We live in a world where Snapchat streaks and Instagram likes are social currency, but navigating this jungle can sometimes feel like a video game—except the monsters are online predators, and the boss battle is maintaining your sanity. So, how do we survive and thrive in this pixelated paradise?

Buckle up as we dive into the art of mastering digital citizenship while dodging trolls, sextortionists, and the temptation to tweet your every thought. In a previous course, I was able to speak on my personal usage of tech, read it here.

Digital Citizenship: Because Even Your Cat Meme Has Consequences

First things first—digital citizenship isn’t just some boring phrase your teacher throws around to kill your Snap streak. It’s about being a decent human being online and not turning your Facebook feed into a circus of bad decisions. Take it from the unlucky students at Harvard, who thought sharing offensive memes in a “private” group would never come back to bite them. Spoiler alert: It did. Harvard rescinded their admissions faster than you can say “delete.”

Lesson: What you post online has real-world consequences, even if you think you’re just being “funny”​.

And don’t think you’re safe just because it’s a “finsta” (finsta – fake instagram). Teens often juggle multiple accounts like a social media ninja—public Instagram for the family, and finsta for “the real stuff.” Just remember, even private accounts aren’t always private. If Harvard taught us anything, it’s that screenshots are forever.

Snap, Crackle, Whoops: The Dangers of Snapchat and Sextortion

Let’s be real—Snapchat may be all about “living in the moment,” but those moments don’t always disappear like we hope. In Canada, an alarming rise in sextortion has made it clear that some moments can stick around like an unwanted house guest. Creeps on the internet are baiting teens into sharing compromising photos, and then—BOOM—they’ve got you cornered. They threaten to send those snaps to all your followers unless you cough up some cash. Yikes!!​​

Pro tip: If someone asks for nudes on Snapchat, send them a pic of a hairless mole rat instead (yes, that’s a real sextortion prevention campaign—no joke!). Keep your mole rats handy, folks​.

Instagram Envy and Twitter Tantrums: It’s All Fun and Games Until You Lose Your Chill

Instagram may have started as a photo-sharing app, but let’s face it—now it’s where we go to flex, filter, and live our best fake lives. And then there’s Twitter, where one wrong tweet can turn into a viral disaster faster than you can say #CancelMe. Combine that with the fact that teens’ brains are basically wired to seek instant gratification (thank you, biology), and it’s easy to see why getting lost in the social media shuffle can lead to some pretty poor decisions​ (Global News).

If you’re a parent, don’t just turn your kid’s phone into Fort Knox with monitoring apps. Teach them how to adult online. Apps like ReThink—created by a teenager, naturally—help kids pause before they post something dumb. Because sometimes, all we need is a second to think, “Wait, will this make me look like an idiot?” Read more about this here.​

FOMO vs. JOMO: The Art of Logging Off (And Why We Secretly Love It)

FOMO – fear of missing out                                        JOMO – joy of missing out

Here’s where things get interesting. While we’re all obsessed with being connected 24/7, there’s also this trend of glorifying disconnection. The whole “IRL fetish” phenomenon has us bragging about how “off the grid” we are when we keep our phones in our pockets during dinner or manage to survive a day without Facebook. But here’s the kicker: The more we obsess over being offline, the more connected we actually are​.

Remember that walk on Cape Cod that Sherry Turkle talks about, where everyone used to look at the ocean and talk to each other instead of staring at their phones? Well, the irony is that those moments of “disconnecting” often end up being the very thing we post about later. So, are we ever really offline? Spoiler: Nope. Not even close​.

So, How Do You Navigate This Madness?

It’s simple. Treat social media like you would treat a very public diary. Sure, share the good

times, but also keep a filter on what you’re posting (and no, I don’t mean the Valencia filter).

Being a good digital citizen isn’t just about avoiding drama; it’s about recognizing that the lines between online and offline are blurred, and that your digital actions have real-world consequences.

So next time you’re tempted to post that totally hilarious meme, snap a questionable pic, or engage in a Twitter spat, ask yourself: Is this something I’d want my future boss (or grandma) to see? If not, it might be time to rethink.

What Does This Mean for Teachers?

For teachers, the rise of social media and digital platforms like Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook brings a new set of challenges—and opportunities. With students spending significant portions of their day online, educators are in a unique position to guide them through the maze of digital citizenship, teaching them how to balance the freedom of online expression with the responsibility that comes with it. Here’s what all this means for teachers:

1. Digital Citizenship Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential

Digital citizenship is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a critical part of modern education. Students are navigating online spaces daily, and the stakes are high. Teachers need to foster conversations about online safety, privacy, and the ethics of social media use. It’s not enough to tell students not to post inappropriate content—we need to equip them with the tools to make better decisions and manage risks. This includes:

  • Understanding the permanence of online actions: Just like the Harvard students who lost their admissions, students need to grasp that online behavior can have long-term consequences​
  • Encouraging self-regulation: Apps like ReThink give students a pause button before posting something regrettable. Teachers can integrate discussions about such tools into their digital literacy curriculum​

2. Empowering Students to Manage Risks

Instead of focusing solely on restrictions and monitoring, educators can teach students how to manage online risks effectively. Many schools focus on blocking certain websites or enforcing strict social media policies, but this can leave students unprepared for the real-world challenges they’ll face when no one is monitoring their online actions. What’s the alternative?

  • Teach problem-solving and impulse control: Give students strategies for handling risky online interactions, such as sextortion and cyberbullying, which are becoming more common​.
  • Promote critical thinking about online content: Students should be able to recognize manipulative content, phishing scams, and the impact of “like-based” validation on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat​.

3. Encourage Open Dialogue About Online Habits

Many students keep their online lives hidden from teachers (and even parents), but creating a safe space for open dialogue can make a big difference. Students may be struggling with sextortion, cyberbullying, or the pressure of managing their digital identity without feeling comfortable seeking help.

Teachers can:

  • Incorporate discussions on online behavior into daily lessons, linking them to real-world consequences.
  • Model good digital citizenship themselves by discussing their own use of social media responsibly.
  • Facilitate media literacy workshops to educate both students and parents on navigating social media and understanding its influence on mental health and social relationships.

4. Integrate Digital Citizenship Across the Curriculum

Digital citizenship shouldn’t just be a one-off lesson; it should be integrated into multiple aspects of the curriculum. Whether you’re teaching English, history, or science, there are countless opportunities to address how students interact with and present themselves online.

Examples include:

  • Analyzing social media trends and how they reflect society’s values in history or sociology classes.
  • Creating projects where students engage critically with social media platforms, learning about the ethical implications of their digital actions

5. Addressing the Digital Divide

Teachers should also be aware that not all students have equal access to technology. The digital divide can affect how students engage with digital citizenship lessons. Some students may have constant access to the latest smartphones and apps, while others may only get online at school. Being mindful of these disparities allows teachers to create inclusive strategies that ensure all students develop essential digital skills.

6. Professional Development for Teachers

Just as students need digital literacy, so do teachers. Schools should provide ongoing professional development for educators, ensuring they are up-to-date with the latest trends, apps, and risks associated with Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms. Teachers should be prepared to address students’ digital behavior as part of their role as educators.

Final Thoughts: Teaching Digital Citizenship in the Age of Social Media

Ultimately, the goal for teachers is to help students not only survive but thrive in the digital world. That means creating a learning environment where students feel empowered to make informed, ethical, and responsible decisions online. As educators, our role is to guide students through the blurred lines between their online and offline lives, ensuring that they understand the power—and responsibility—that comes with digital freedom.

Incorporating digital citizenship into daily education helps students become more conscious of their actions, fostering safer and healthier online communities. And who knows? Maybe the next time they go to post a mole rat meme, they’ll think twice—and thank you for it.

This is just the beginning, more to come! Check back soon!