Rights and responsibilities in the digital world

I think there are many rights and responsibilities a person has when using the digital world. First thing that comes to mind is that you should never post anything you wouldn't want your grandma to see. This could include inappropriate language or using illegal drugs. If you are applying for a job, your potential employer has the right to look you up on social media to learn more about you based on what you post. Therefore, it's your responsibility to be mindful of what you want the world to see about you. When I was in middle and high school I posted so often. I would say silly things such as "Going to dance!" As I have gotten older, I post much less because not only do I want to keep my own life more private from social media, but I am finding myself kind of annoyed when I see others on social media saying "Off to yoga!" or "Going to Target!" and I think to myself, I didn't really need to know that. You also want to be careful about your personal information you put out there. You never know what sort of scary person is lurking the internet for someone who has given away information such as their home address, bank information or phone number. Finally, we live in a country in which everyone has the right to speak their mind and share how they feel. With this being said, not everyone feels the same way another feels. When you have the right to speak your mind, you need to know how to show respect toward others who may feel differently than you. This can be a challenge with technology because if you say something unkind to another person online, you can't see how a person is physically reacting. You are able to hide cowardly behind a screen. It's too easy for people who have cruel intentions to take advantage of people on the internet. This is why it's so important for everyone to know their rights and responsibilities when using the digital world.

I completely agree with your points about being mindful of what we share online and how our digital footprint can follow us into adulthood. It’s true that what seems harmless in middle or high school can look very different to future employers or others later on. I’d also add that part of our responsibility in the digital world is to think critically about the information we see and share. Just as we need to protect our personal privacy, we also have a duty to stop the spread of misinformation and make sure what we post contributes positively to the online community. This is something that adults were never taught in school as it did not exist, so it might not be modeled in the best way for our students. Teaching digital citizenship to my 6th grade Technology students helps bridge that gap, but it would be interesting to have something adults can use to guide them when they are posting, commenting, or sharing something in the digital world so that it models being responsible.