Reflection on Digital Citizenship (Activity 9)

 ChrisGPT 4.0 mini

What is a digital citizen? Can you cite at least three characteristics?

Here are the results:

In this era where the majority of the human population has access to the digital world, there are netiquettes that we should follow. These netiquettes are crucial in our development towards being responsible digital citizens. We as digital citizens should be aware of the proper usage of digital technologies in order to create a digital environment that promotes healthy interactions and a good environment where negativity could not grow and prosper. Without proper and meaningful usage of digital technologies, these will become one of human greatest problems since technologies are often referred to as embedded in our DNA. Therefore, in order to avoid these problems from rising, we must do our part to become a responsible digital citizen. 

A responsible digital citizen is a person who is media literate. Being media literate is important because it allows a user to identify misinformation, disinformation. and factual information. This is an important trait so that we may navigate the information that is considered reliable so that it would not affect our perceptions. When information is made accessible anywhere and everywhere, it is our duty to systematically identify those that are not biased and tolerate those that are supported by evidence and studies. Furthermore, being media literate is important because it teaches us how to properly use different technologies. It teaches us common knowledge such as proper maintenance of hardware, the importance of updating our firewalls and computing/mobile systems, and proper saving of data in order to avoid data loss. Being media literate allows you to explore your abilities as well as the complexities of the digital world with caution and proper guidelines. 

The second important trait in becoming a responsible digital citizen is our ability in securing personal information. We must be aware that in this digital world, there are risks that are digitalized as well such as identity theft, manipulation of personal account, and hacker. Therefore, we must always be aware and be able to recognize signs that pose a threat in our identity. One of the most common causes of identity theft is caused by downloading apps that are modded or clicking on various advertisements (ads) while we surf the web. For example, in order to listen to music without ads or interruptions, a user must subscribe to Spotify Premium which costs money. There are cases wherein some users would download a modded or cracked version of Spotify to gain premium access. As a result, their phones are slowly being corrupted because the cracked or modded version contains viruses that steal information. We must remember that investing in applications is important because it gives us a sense of security. Furthermore, we must also be aware of advertisements such as, "Congratulations, you won a new iPhone." Though this may appear intriguing, this is a form of scam that leads to identity theft. After clicking this ad, it requires you to give your email address, phone number, and password. As a result, they can gain access to our social media platforms. I admit that I was one of the victims of this scam and my Facebook was hacked when I was 15 years old. Since then, I created a new account and started to ignore advertisements every time I surf the web. To avoid being a victim of identity theft, we must secure our personal information. We must make sure that we do not share with other people our passwords in our accounts. In addition, it is good to implement a Two-Way Verification method in our accounts to make sure that it is secure and would not be a subject of security breach. There are also tips from various tech-savvy individuals that it is beneficial for users to change their passwords every three months. 

Another important factor in becoming a responsible digital citizen is being an advocate for digital rights and access. Digital rights refer to the rights of every individual in the digital world. This is very important in order to maintain harmony with various digital users. The most common problem that harms digital rights is about intellectual property. It is common for many users to steal someone's work such as photography, quote, or videos, without giving proper credits. As a result, digital users who own those works become enraged about the scenario. As a digital user, it is important that we give proper credits in order to give respect and recognition to the real owner. Another important principle as to why digital rights must be recognized and practiced is because it promotes a safe environment for all users. Digital rights protect individuals from the harm of the internet such as cyberbullying, identity theft, and recognize the terms and conditions of various softwares. This would alleviate our problem with improper usage of the internet. We must remember that the internet was created not to harbor harm towards other but to build a connection towards one another. Therefore, it is our responsibility to maintain and strengthen that connection. In another note, we must also recognize that we users are catalysts in bridging the gap of digital divide in order to achieve that everyone has access to the digital world. Responsible digital citizens advocate for equal digital access. Therefore, when we do have the time or the opportunity to teach people about the proper usage of hardwares and softwares, we must be ready to accept that call. Aside from this, we can raise awareness in various social media platforms aboit the importance of teaching every individual how to access the internet properly. This would be very beneficial for our society because when everyone had the basic knowledge about the internet and technology, they would be given the opportunity to apply for online jobs such as call center agents or freelancers. As a result, this would lift our economy. Furthermore, it is crucial that everyone is aware of the internet becaudw most things around us are now automated or being automated. Therefore, everyone must be mindful of these changes. So as a responsible digital citizen, we must help other people to adapt to these changes.

Being a responsible digital citizen requires a lot of work and commitment. However, being a responsible digital citizen is fulfilling, rewarding, and have many benefits. It gives us a sense of security that even though we surf the web across various platforms, our information are secured and not susceptible to any forms of security breach. Moreover, being a responsible digital citizen allows us to change the world by teaching and influencing other people to adapt to technological changes, recognizing every users' rights, and promoting a safety environment. We must bare in mind that at the end of the day, what we do in the digital world reflects who we are in the real world.