If you don’t know this term, you should.  It’s 2012 and practically everything we do is digital.  I recently read an article that discusses nine elements of digital citizenship.  It showed me a lot that I had not considered before.  As digital citizens, we are those who have access into the digital world.  We make use of Web 2.0 and see the internet as a valuable resource.  The article goes on to discuss the different elements of digital citizenship; things like commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, responsibilities, health & wellness, and security.  While some are familiar to me, there are others that I had not considered.  For example, in regards to health and wellness, people do not realize the lasting effects of the digital world.  People who are constantly on the computer are developing eye issues, stressed muscles, and things like carpal tunnel or trigger finger.  While it’s fantastic to be able to communicate to people all over the world and buy goods at the click of a finger, we need to be aware of our health.

While health and safety come first, it is also important to consider etiquette and law in the digital world.  There are rules to using the web and everything that it offers.  We must follow these rules and standards in order to be productive and give credit where credit is due.  I am often on the computer using its many resources and will continue to keep elements like these in mind as I continue my digital journey.