Día del Ciudadano Digital 2024

What Is Digital Citizen Day?

Join us in celebrating #DigitalCitizenDay! Celebrated each October during Media Literacy Week, Digital Citizen Day is an annual event that encourages Canadians to spread positivity online and share what being a digital citizen means to them. Started by Canada’s MediaSmarts, the day is a way of raising awareness about responsible use of technology. The internet is powerful and everyone has a duty to use it well!

What Is A Digital Citizen?

You! Anyone who engages with the internet is considered one. The Cambridge Dictionary defines digital citizenship as “the state of being skilled in using the internet in order to communicate with others, buy and sell things, and take part in politics, and understanding how to do this in a safe and responsible way.” At KnowledgeFlow, we believe in educating people of all ages and skill levels so that everyone has equal opportunity to become the best digital citizen they can be—participating safely, respectfully, and compassionately in today’s digital world.

How Can You Responsibly Navigate Today’s Digital World?

And why does it matter?

The world we live in today is powered by technology and the internet is a tool we all have at our fingertips. It’s important to make the most of the resource and its easy access, while staying alert about the potential dangers that come with that. At KnowledgeFlow, our passion is cybersafety, which is all about different practices for protecting yourself as you learn, work, and play on the internet. By protecting yourself and your own devices from potential harm, you also contribute to the work of protecting others. Part of being a responsible digital citizen is caring for and respectfully interacting with any members of the online community. With that in mind, consider the different ways you can protect yourself online and build kind habits for online interaction in order to become a model digital citizen.

10 Ways YOU Can Become A Better Digital Citizen

Let’s talk about some simple ways to be a responsible digital citizen.

1. Educate Yourself

Become #UnHackable by taking a FREE course on cybersafety. Check out KnowledgeFlow co-founder Claudiu Popa‘s 10 reglas de ciberseguridad, as well as many other informative courses on our Academia de Ciberseguridad. Stay educated and up-to-date about the best ways to protect yourself online and your digital footprint!

2. Educate Others 

One of the best ways to ensure that other people know how to navigate online and act as a responsible digital citizen in the same way you do is to teach them! Seniors and children especially need to be taught about online dangers that they are more susceptible to. KnowledgeFlow has plenty of resources for parents and teachers, as well courses designed to teach seniors about how to stay safe online. Check out the resources page on our website knowledgeflow.org. It contains tips on topics like Safe Searching Online for Kids y The Grandparent Scams to help you educate your loved ones.

3. Spread Positivity Online 

We all know that the internet can sometimes be filled with hateful and horrid things, but it’s up to us to do the work of spreading positivity and kindness online.  A simple thing is to be mindful of what you say and post online. Often comment sections can be filled with controversial statements, and you might feel the need to fire back some nasty words, but it’s important to remember that the person on the other side of the screen is human too, and worthy of your respect.

4. Hold Others Accountable 

It’s your responsibility as a citizen to hold others accountable for their actions online. If you notice negativity in a comment section, try to counter it with something positive. If you see disinformation or inappropriate information on social media, report it to the platform as soon as possible. If you notice discrepancies in a company’s privacy policy, reach out to the company’s privacy contact to try and find out more information. If you cannot easily find out who that is or how to contact them, you should then contact the Federal Privacy Commissioner. Their contact information can be found aquí.  If you notice any kind of internet scam, report it to the Centro Canadiense de Lucha contra el Fraude.

5. Be Aware of What You Share

One way to protect yourself online is to limit the information you share, and therefore reduce your digital footprint. In terms of social media, be careful not to overshare. Watch out for information in the back of pictures like your license plate or address that should not be posted on the internet. Remember that once something is put on the internet, there’s no taking it back.

6. Evaluate What You See 

The internet is full of information about anything and everything, which requires critical thinking to evaluate everything that you see. It’s important to fact check the data, videos, and news stories being shown to you by looking for the information in other places or using a fact checking website. Keep in mind that it is extremely easy to copy or plagiarize another person’s work, and stay on the lookout for information from credible sources.

The internet is polluted with what we call misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, regardless of the intent of a person when sharing it, while disinformation is defined as completely false information that is intentionally spread. One way to evaluate information you see online is to use the Escaneado C.R.I.S.P., which is a tool to help you identify disinformation, fake news, and false claims.

7. Protect Your Privacy – Passwords, 2FA, Permissions 

There are so many little things you can do to make yourself less susceptible to online harm. These cybersafety tips include creating strong and unique passwords for your online accounts, enabling two-factor authentication on your devices, updating your privacy permissions on your apps, downloading an adblocker, and more. For more information on how to protect your devices and accounts, check out our tip sheet on two-factor authentication and how to use it.

8. Be Skeptical 

The internet is the perfect place to explore and find information. It’s crucial that you remain skeptical of sites, links, and ads while you are browsing the internet. If a website is asking for personal information, an ad appears out of nowhere, or you get a text message from an unknown number asking you to click on a link, always evaluate the credibility of the source before interacting with it.

9. Communicate Well 

In all areas of life, good communication is key. It’s important to remember that communication online looks different than talking to someone face to face. What you say will likely be seen by many people, and cannot be unsaid. This means it is necessary to pay special attention to the words you use online and the tone they come across with, making sure they are clear, concise, and full of respect.

10. Learn From the Experts 

Benefit from the mentorship of certified experts who have plenty of internet and cybersecurity knowledge. Listen to this podcast for an engaging discussion on digital citizenship, internet safety, and emerging trends in cybersecurity featuring KnowledgeFlow’s co-founder Claudiu Popa and ICTC’s Tim King. There are countless resources available for those seeking to understand more about cybersafety, digital media literacy, digital citizenship, and the cybersecurity framework of today.