Digital citizen
Encyclopedia
A digital citizen commonly refers to a person utilizing information technology information technology
(IT) in order to engage in society, politics, and government participation. K. Mossberger, et al. define digital citizens as "those who use the Internet regularly and effectively." In qualifying as a digital citizen, a person generally must have extensive skills, knowledge, and access of using the internet through computer
s, mobile phone
s, and web-ready devices to interact with private and public organizations. (These factors naturally preclude many from becoming fully realized as ‘digital citizens’ such as people who are illiterate and those who have no viable way of accessing the internet).
People characterizing themselves as digital citizens often use IT extensively, creating blogs, using social networks, and participating in web journalism sites. Although digital citizenship potentially begins when any child, teen, and/or adult signs up for an email address, posts pictures online, uses e-commerce to buy merchandise online, and/or participates in any electronic function that is B2C or B2B
, the process of becoming a digital citizen goes beyond simple internet activity. In the framework of T.H. Marshall’s perspective on citizenship’s three traditions (liberalism, republicanism, and ascriptive hierarchy), digital citizenry can occur alongside the promotion of equal economic opportunity, as well as increased political participation and civic duty . Digital citizenship eliminates exclusionary elements of ascriptive hierarchy in that the internet does not exclude those who wish to participate in its realm based on race, religion, or class – elements previously used to exclude people from even becoming traditional citizens.
IHighly developed states possess the capacity to link their respective governments with digital sites. Such sites function in ways such as illuminating recent legislation, educating current and future policy objectives, lending agency toward political candidates, and allowing citizens to voice themselves in a political way. Likewise, the generation of these sites has been linked to increased voting advocacy . Lack of access toward becoming a digital citizen can be a serious drawback, since many elementary procedures such as tax reports filing, birth registration, and use of Web sites to support candidates in political campaigns (e-Democracy
) etc. have been transferred to only be available via the internet
. Furthermore, many cultural and commercial entities only publicize information on web pages. Non-digital citizens will not be able to retrieve this information and this may lead to social isolation or economic stagnation. The gap between digital citizens and non-digital citizens is often referred to as the digital divide
. Currently, the digital divide is a subject of academic debate as access to the internet has increased, but the place in which the internet is accessed (work, home, public library, etc.) has a significant effect on how such access will be utilized, if even in a manner related to citizenry. Recent scholarship has correlated the desire to be technologically proficient with greater belief in computer access equity, and thus, digital citizenship (Shelley, et al.).
In developing countries digital citizens are sparser. They consist of the people in such countries who utilize technology to overcome their localized obstacles including development issues, corruption, and even military conflict. An examples of such citizens are African nationals using mobile phones where landlines and infrastructure are weak, political activists in the Middle-East such as during the Egyptian Revolution.
Static
Static information Dissemination is based on read-only web sites including Information Portal Sites and Links to Related Web Sites.
Dynamic
As dynamic information dissemination means active Two-way communication
and consultant services it includes the acquisition of information by E-Mail requests (question-answer dialogue), Newsletters or Newsgroups and E-mail lists.
Static
Usually, Static Deliberation includes the following kinds of participation Online Poll, Bulletin Board (for both complaints and recommendations).
Example: “Dorris recalls that during the unprecedented weeklong federal government shutdown from a blizzard in the Washington, D.C., area in 2010, the Web manager group collaborated to use its websites and the GSA-owned portal, USA.gov, to inform citizens about which federal offices were closed and which were still operating” .
Dynamic
Dynamic Deliberation takes place in the public sphere
for example Digital Forums, Online Voting with Deliberation.
Mike Ribble runs a website dedicated to describing digital citizenship in all its meaning. Through his teachings at the high school and university graduate level, and through the culmination of a dissertation specifically engaged with digital citizenry, he has compiled a list of nine elements comprising digital citizenship, including digital: access, commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, and security. (http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Home_Page.html).
The prevailing limitation to digital citizenry is the lack of uniform access to all wishing to participate. “Municipal wireless access to the Internet is one approach that local government can take that can help address [this issue]” (Mossberger).
Digital youth can be generally viewed as the test market for the next generation’s digital content and services. Sites such as MySpace and Facebook have come to the fore in sites where youth participate and engage with others on the internet. Vast amounts of money are spent annually to research the demographic by hiring psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists in order to discover habits, values and fields of interest
Particularly in the United States, “Social media use has become so pervasive in the lives of American teens that having a presence on a social network is almost synonymous with being online; %95 of all teens ages 12-17 are now online and 80% of those online teens are users of social media sites” . However, movements such as these appear to benefit strictly those wishing to advocate for their business towards youth. The critical time when young people are developing their civic identities is between the ages 15-22. During this time they develop three attributes: civic literacy, civic skills and civic attachment that comprise civic engagement
later reflected in political actions of their adult lives.
An open internet as delegated by a state’s government is necessary to instill a sense of trust, legitimacy, and participation in the state’s citizenry. WikiLeaks represents an occurrence where particular political actors have criticized and taken citizen action toward revealing the government’s unnecessary clandestine activity online. “The benefit of transparency isn’t just catching red-handed bastards. It’s also about collaborating and coming together with a more engaged citizenry.”
The internet is a reading-intensive medium that may challenge full access and participation to youth. For youth to fully participate and realize their presence on the internet, a quality level of reading comprehension is required. “The average government Web site, for examples, requires an eleventh-grade level of reading comprehension, even though about half of the U.S. population reads at an eighth-grade level or lower” . So despite the internet being a place irrespective of certain factors such as race, religion, and class, education plays a large part in a person’s capacity to present themselves online in a formal manner conducive towards their citizenry. Concurrently, education also affects people’s motivation to participate online.
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
(IT) in order to engage in society, politics, and government participation. K. Mossberger, et al. define digital citizens as "those who use the Internet regularly and effectively." In qualifying as a digital citizen, a person generally must have extensive skills, knowledge, and access of using the internet through computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s, and web-ready devices to interact with private and public organizations. (These factors naturally preclude many from becoming fully realized as ‘digital citizens’ such as people who are illiterate and those who have no viable way of accessing the internet).
People characterizing themselves as digital citizens often use IT extensively, creating blogs, using social networks, and participating in web journalism sites. Although digital citizenship potentially begins when any child, teen, and/or adult signs up for an email address, posts pictures online, uses e-commerce to buy merchandise online, and/or participates in any electronic function that is B2C or B2B
Business-to-business
Business-to-business describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer...
, the process of becoming a digital citizen goes beyond simple internet activity. In the framework of T.H. Marshall’s perspective on citizenship’s three traditions (liberalism, republicanism, and ascriptive hierarchy), digital citizenry can occur alongside the promotion of equal economic opportunity, as well as increased political participation and civic duty . Digital citizenship eliminates exclusionary elements of ascriptive hierarchy in that the internet does not exclude those who wish to participate in its realm based on race, religion, or class – elements previously used to exclude people from even becoming traditional citizens.
IHighly developed states possess the capacity to link their respective governments with digital sites. Such sites function in ways such as illuminating recent legislation, educating current and future policy objectives, lending agency toward political candidates, and allowing citizens to voice themselves in a political way. Likewise, the generation of these sites has been linked to increased voting advocacy . Lack of access toward becoming a digital citizen can be a serious drawback, since many elementary procedures such as tax reports filing, birth registration, and use of Web sites to support candidates in political campaigns (e-Democracy
E-democracy
E-democracy refers to the use of information technologies and communication technologies and strategies in political and governance processes...
) etc. have been transferred to only be available via the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Furthermore, many cultural and commercial entities only publicize information on web pages. Non-digital citizens will not be able to retrieve this information and this may lead to social isolation or economic stagnation. The gap between digital citizens and non-digital citizens is often referred to as the digital divide
Digital divide
The Digital Divide refers to inequalities between individuals, households, business, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies and Internet connectivity and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information...
. Currently, the digital divide is a subject of academic debate as access to the internet has increased, but the place in which the internet is accessed (work, home, public library, etc.) has a significant effect on how such access will be utilized, if even in a manner related to citizenry. Recent scholarship has correlated the desire to be technologically proficient with greater belief in computer access equity, and thus, digital citizenship (Shelley, et al.).
In developing countries digital citizens are sparser. They consist of the people in such countries who utilize technology to overcome their localized obstacles including development issues, corruption, and even military conflict. An examples of such citizens are African nationals using mobile phones where landlines and infrastructure are weak, political activists in the Middle-East such as during the Egyptian Revolution.
Digital Citizen Participation
The development of digital citizen participation can be divided into two main stages:- Information Dissemination
Static
Static information Dissemination is based on read-only web sites including Information Portal Sites and Links to Related Web Sites.
Dynamic
As dynamic information dissemination means active Two-way communication
Two-way communication
Two-way communication - uses communication to negotiate with the public, resolve conflict, and promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and its public. Two-Way Communication in Public Relations...
and consultant services it includes the acquisition of information by E-Mail requests (question-answer dialogue), Newsletters or Newsgroups and E-mail lists.
- Citizen Deliberation
Static
Usually, Static Deliberation includes the following kinds of participation Online Poll, Bulletin Board (for both complaints and recommendations).
Example: “Dorris recalls that during the unprecedented weeklong federal government shutdown from a blizzard in the Washington, D.C., area in 2010, the Web manager group collaborated to use its websites and the GSA-owned portal, USA.gov, to inform citizens about which federal offices were closed and which were still operating” .
Dynamic
Dynamic Deliberation takes place in the public sphere
Public sphere
The public sphere is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action...
for example Digital Forums, Online Voting with Deliberation.
Mike Ribble runs a website dedicated to describing digital citizenship in all its meaning. Through his teachings at the high school and university graduate level, and through the culmination of a dissertation specifically engaged with digital citizenry, he has compiled a list of nine elements comprising digital citizenship, including digital: access, commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, and security. (http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Home_Page.html).
The prevailing limitation to digital citizenry is the lack of uniform access to all wishing to participate. “Municipal wireless access to the Internet is one approach that local government can take that can help address [this issue]” (Mossberger).
Engagement of Youth as Digital Citizens
A recent survey revealed that teenager and young adults spend more time during the week on the internet than watching TV.Digital youth can be generally viewed as the test market for the next generation’s digital content and services. Sites such as MySpace and Facebook have come to the fore in sites where youth participate and engage with others on the internet. Vast amounts of money are spent annually to research the demographic by hiring psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists in order to discover habits, values and fields of interest
Particularly in the United States, “Social media use has become so pervasive in the lives of American teens that having a presence on a social network is almost synonymous with being online; %95 of all teens ages 12-17 are now online and 80% of those online teens are users of social media sites” . However, movements such as these appear to benefit strictly those wishing to advocate for their business towards youth. The critical time when young people are developing their civic identities is between the ages 15-22. During this time they develop three attributes: civic literacy, civic skills and civic attachment that comprise civic engagement
Civic engagement
Civic engagement or civic participation has been defined as "Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern."-Forms:...
later reflected in political actions of their adult lives.
An open internet as delegated by a state’s government is necessary to instill a sense of trust, legitimacy, and participation in the state’s citizenry. WikiLeaks represents an occurrence where particular political actors have criticized and taken citizen action toward revealing the government’s unnecessary clandestine activity online. “The benefit of transparency isn’t just catching red-handed bastards. It’s also about collaborating and coming together with a more engaged citizenry.”
The internet is a reading-intensive medium that may challenge full access and participation to youth. For youth to fully participate and realize their presence on the internet, a quality level of reading comprehension is required. “The average government Web site, for examples, requires an eleventh-grade level of reading comprehension, even though about half of the U.S. population reads at an eighth-grade level or lower” . So despite the internet being a place irrespective of certain factors such as race, religion, and class, education plays a large part in a person’s capacity to present themselves online in a formal manner conducive towards their citizenry. Concurrently, education also affects people’s motivation to participate online.