Digital Rights/Responsibilities

User rights that should be part of the norms in the digital world should include knowing how to be responsible for my actions and the consequences that can happen if they are not responsible. Students have to follow rules of etiquette in various situations every day and they should know what those rules are in the digital world (typing in all caps is the same as shouting at someone).  Today’s student will be doing many of their business online - shopping, banking, communicating, paying bills, and their medical information will all be accessible online. They need to know how to protect this information from others who might want to steal their identity or get into their accounts to use their funds.
User responsibilities that need to be expressed in the digital world include knowing the limits of what is acceptable. Freedom of Speech in the digital world is the same as Freedom of Speech in the face-to-face world. You can’t say whatever you wish and not have any consequences for those things that are slanderous or defaming to someone else. The students need to realize that there is a time and a place to post and not to post. They need to think before they click when they send an email when they are upset about something. They need to realize that what they post now will create a permanent digital footprint. What is posted will not go away and can come back to harm them in the future.