The world is moving at a rapid pace and the advancements in technology is directing humanity towards the digital realm. Starting from the use of social media to the operations of modern-day conglomerates points the finger at digital stating that it is the way to go in the future. The education fraternity also is not spared from this, and more and more educational institutes are now considering digital as the new norm. Even with all that said, ensuring that students acquire digital literacy is important owing to the fact that, if they are not aware about the perks and potholes of going digital, then desired results will not be achieved. This is where the term, digital citizenship takes centre stage. Before getting into the importance of digital citizenship and why it has to be integrated into classrooms, lets’ briefly talk about what is digital citizenship. When defined, digital citizenship refers to the usage of technology in a responsible manner and teaching the students the importance of achieving digital literacy. The definition of the term also includes the prevention of cyberbullying, teaching online safety, and digital health and wellness. With that out of the way, let’s now take a look at why digital citizenship is important not only in the present world but also in the future.

• Ensuring Information Literacy: With various search engines and sites such as Google and Wikipedia, accessing information has never been this seamless and hassle-free for students. The problem nowadays is the fact that there is so much information available that students need to differentiate between what can be used and what cannot be used. As mentioned before, one of the main areas that digital citizenship focuses are on ensuring students digital literacy and this allows students to differentiate between relevant information and spam. By teaching students how to conduct optimum searches online or by educating them about the reputed sites and sources through which they can get information, students will be much more equipped to acquire information literacy.

Going digital has given us great power with unmatched user experience but with that power comes the responsibility to not misuse the resources that we have and also students should be taught how to navigate the threats in the cyber space such as hacking, viruses and piracy

• Preventing Cyber Bullying: Cyber bullying puts serious question marks to the ethical standards of going digital. This has even made people think twice about shifting lanes completely towards digital. This is also a cause of concern for educators and students alike and teaching students how to engage with each other in a respectful and dignified manner is important to prevent cyber bullying. By training students on the topic and letting them understand the repercussions of cyber bullying and the legal issues that might come with it, educators can prevent it in an efficient and effective manner.

• Guaranteeing Online Safety: This is by far one of the most important pain points that digital citizenship addresses. Under digital citizenship, students will be taught how to use online mediums and surf the digital realm in a safe and secure manner. Students who can prioritize their online safety will also feel much confident using it which can yield better results for them. Equipped with the right knowledge to understand and avoid the various potholes online, a student can be safe in online spaces and become better digital citizens.

• Ensuring Digital Responsibility: Going digital has given us great power with unmatched user experience but with that power comes the responsibility to not misuse the resources that we have and also students should be taught how to navigate the threats in the cyber space such as hacking, viruses and piracy. Students should be also educated on the various forms of online threat or inappropriate conduct when you are in the digital space. This will ensure that students can use these resources to improve their academics and become successful while at the same time make sure that they don’t fall into the wrong side of the law.

These four make up some of the most important reasons why going forward digital citizenship is important for students so that they can maximize their academic performance without breaking the rules and regulations.