Digital citizenship is a topic that has been very important to me as an avid online gamer, social media consumer, and general technology user. I believe I was lucky enough to be raised at the perfect time (born 1999) when technology wasn’t as easily accessed or nearly as dangerous as it is currently but raised alongside it to keep up to date. I want to use this opportunity to reflect on the graphic shared in class, “Social Smarts: Nothing Personal!” in relation to my upbringing and current use and understanding of my digital identity.

In this graphic, we follow a short story of Olive, who recently got her older brother’s old phone and learns the consequences of her actions through various uses of different digital platforms. There are significant learning moments (emphasized through the excitable phone character) such as how much information is still out there even after deletion, when and where to use your real name or a digital alias, how meaning of posts and texts can be misconstrued, and the use of (digital) cookies.

After reading through this for the first time, I immediately reflected on the experience of my very first phone I got in Grade 5, when I started walking to school by myself. It was an old Blackberry flip phone that had been my Dad’s old work phone. It really only had the features of texting, calling, and taking photos. Even with those few functions, it came with a lot of responsibility on who I can contact (only my family’s contacts were saved) and its purpose of being used as a tool for safety. I couldn’t imagine how many further precautions parents have to make nowadays with new iPhones and the endless amounts of apps and platforms their children can access. It’s really scary to think of.

Thankfully, my Mom has always been especially informed and cautious when it came to the use of the internet and digital platforms. She was strict on how I used the internet and taught me valuable skills such as being able to better recognize scams and fraudulent material, protecting personal information and passwords, and always asking for help anytime I felt unsure. Fast forward to today, and I am now fairly confident in my own use of the internet as I am confident in knowing when and where to use personal information (such as Amazon) and where to make up fake aliases (such as Discord and gaming platforms). Although I am always very careful, people with malicious intentions are always out there and thankfully, many websites and platforms have incorporated additional security features to better protect your information.

I hope to be able to share my knowledge with future students and my own future kids to better protect them as they inevitably gain more and more access to the internet. I have even started hearing about new devices and platforms specifically created for kids to have more secure access to safe games, streaming services, and information. Some examples include “Kidnet”, “Tin Can” phone, and bringing back the use of safe and educational PC and console games like “Zoo Tycoon,” “Zoo Vet,” and “The Magic School Bus Activity Centers.”