DİGİTAL CİTİZENSHİP

The Internet is a multidimensional medium. It can be seen in an environment full of risks and dangers if the areas are not used and adequate precautions are not taken, as it is a wonderful environment for learning, animation and entertainment.

The Internet is a multidimensional medium. While it is a wonderful environment for learning, teaching and having fun, it can also be an environment full of risks and dangers if it is not used consciously and if adequate precautions are not taken. The internet environment not only poses a risk in terms of security, but also; Especially the technological opportunities brought by mobile and social networks can also turn into different risks. Mobile and social networks, especially used by children and young people, bring with them some negativities from personal privacy to cyberbullying. This situation causes some violations of rights and laws and can cause deep wounds in people’s daily lives.

The developments in information and communication technologies and the rapid impact of these developments on the socio-social structure have started to attract the perception of being a good citizen to the perception of being a good “digital citizen”. People started to communicate in online environments rather than face-to-face interaction. This is the perception of being a good digital citizen, that is, in the virtual environment as well as in real life, within the framework of rights, laws and responsibilities; has started to create the necessity to act by taking into account the ethical perception.

A digital citizen is a citizen who can criticize when using information and communication resources, knows the ethical consequences of his online behavior, does not abuse technology, and promotes correct and moral behavior when communicating and collaborating in the digital world. In this framework, both families should be conscious and their children should be conscious of being a good digital citizen. On the way to becoming a good digital citizen;

All internet service providers have materials and filtering programs that can help you with your children’s online experience. Use programs that filter out inappropriate content and adjust your parental control settings through your operating systems.

Check the privacy settings of the networks, smartphones, and other online social platforms your kids use. Decide which setting provides an adequate level of security and apply it. Also, do not forget that filtering programs and anti-virus software are now also available on mobile platforms.

Teach your children not to interact easily with people they meet online. Although it is not preferred to have one-on-one meetings with people they meet, some young people do not follow this rule very well. So talk to them about safety conditions. If there is a situation where meeting is necessary, explain to them that they should always meet in bright, public, crowded places, go with at least a friend and share this plan with a trusted adult. Also, warn them not to share as much personal information as possible with their new friends.

Make sure that the online games your children play are age-appropriate and do not adversely affect their mental and physical health. You can get support from health professionals for this. While some games can be beneficial in terms of intelligence development, some games can have the opposite effect. Direct your children to entertainment pages you are sure of, such as SafeChildren (guvenlicocuk.org.tr) and Trt Çocuk (trt.net.tr/trtcocuk/).

Are You a Good Digital Citizen?

Being able to use the Internet correctly, effectively and ethically is an indicator of being a good “digital citizen”. Let’s examine the rules of being a good digital citizen one by one.

• First of all, you should have the opportunity to access the internet at any time and to use search engines effectively.
• You should take a critical look at every piece of information you find on the internet and check it from at least 3 sources.
• You should know whether you have sufficient knowledge about shopping on the Internet and using banking services.
• You should be familiar with the sites you access or browse through.
• The most important rule is: “Do not do anything online that you would not do in real life.”
• Just because information you get from the internet is public or copyable doesn’t mean you can steal it. In order not to become a thief, do not forget to indicate the source of any information you use.
• In addition to being able to make morally sound decisions when using digital tools, you should also carefully avoid harming others.
• When giving feedback or commenting on any platform, you should be respectful just like in real life.
• You should be conscious of the crimes committed on the internet and the methods of struggle.
• Remember, your information is private and personal to you. Use strong passwords for your security and do not share your private information with anyone.
• When using online technologies, don’t let them dominate you. Use time efficiently, determine the time. Thus, your risk of encountering potential health problems will be reduced to a minimum.
• Can you easily erase what you wrote with an ink pen on a white sheet of paper? Just like this, every sharing you make on the internet will leave indelible traces behind you. With this in mind, you should be able to protect your children and yourself from the dangers of the internet.
• Finally, don’t be dependent on the Internet, just connect!