According to Statista, the global digital population is 5 billion as of April 2022. That’s 63% of the world’s population.
It’s hard to imagine a world without the internet. But, your kids are the future generation, and you need to teach them how to be respectful and responsible digital citizens.
Read on for more information.
Table of Contents
What Is A Responsible Digital Citizen?
You are a responsible digital citizen when you behave responsibly, ethically, and respectfully in the digital world.
You must abide by the rules and regulations of your state for the online world. You have to be respectful towards your peers and strangers in the virtual community. There has to be no act of indecency or immorality and no promotion of anything volatile. Cyberbullying is a strict no!
Raising Responsible Digital Citizens
In today’s time, you have to focus on raising responsible digital citizens. Your kids are playing Minecraft, Roblox, Among Us, and many other games where they interact with kids of their age and sometimes older. Your kids also use Snapchat, Instagram, and many other platforms under your supervision.
It’s your responsibility to teach the best manners to your kids so that they are their best selves in the virtual world.
Consider the following:
1. Be Respectful
When participating in online communities or social media platforms, you must teach your kids to be respectful. A difference of opinion doesn’t mean you shred the respect of another person in pieces.
You have to learn how to present your viewpoints while not making others angry. It’s an art, but you can teach it to your kids by being the perfect role model.
2. Learn to Communicate
Teach your kids how to write meaningful messages. They need to watch their tone, so their writing must reflect what they are trying to say. They may not mean what they say sometimes, but it would come out differently.
Guide your kids to read books on communication. People can’t decode your body language when writing online or having a brief chat. It’s the way you communicate and deal that counts!
3. Be Kind
Kindness is a cure to many problems. We need kind souls in the world. But, if you closely observe, you would notice the lack of kindness and empathy that’s giving rise to hate comments.
Charity begins at home, so be kind to your kids. Your kids adore you and look up to you! When in trouble, you must be the first person that should come to their mind. But, it’s all possible when you are kind and preaches kindness.
Read: Want to Talk to Your Children About Smartphone Addiction?
4. Spread The Good Word
Teach your kids to be the bearer of the good news! They must spread positivity in the community or online. They must share good knowledge and informative content that adds value to the life of other readers.
Your kids must not share negative news or information. Instead, focus on creating a positive digital world. In real life, you are in a confined community, but digitally you are connected with the world. However, it’s also okay to share a painful experience (for example, losing a pet) as long as it’s pure intent and doesn’t harm anyone emotionally. But mainly focus on good educational content. Also, be natural and don’t make up the good news.
5. Prevent Cyberbullying
Online bullying is cyberbullying, and it’s a form of harassment using electronic means. When you build a strong relationship and bond with your kids, you would be the first person they would reach out to when necessary.
It’s vital to teach your kids the dangers of cyberbullying. Prevention is better than cure, so always be open with your kids so that they know what to expect. You also need to make sure your kid isn’t the one who is bullying others online. Talk about it before it’s too late.
6. Share What Matters
Sharing too much information, especially of a personal nature, is no good. People indeed want to share their special moments on social media, but that’s not it. A lot is going on behind closed doors, which we don’t know. Tell your kids what’s shareable and what’s not safe to share in the online world.
Your kids also need to know that social media could be fake, and thus, they must learn to separate the genuine from the unreal, and you can help!
7. Limit The Screen Time
Limit screen time because life is beautiful. There is so much outside the online world that your kids need to learn. They can connect the real world with the online world, but not 24/7. Use a parental control app like this to limit screen time and control phone usage.
You need to limit screen time and teach your kids why spending more time in the actual world is essential.
Wrapping It Up
You live in the digital age, so it’s best to live as a responsible digital citizen and become a role model for the kids in your life. You are not alone!
