Digital citizenship is such a complex topic as it is hard to wrap your mind around the evolving role of technology in everyday life, the extent to its reach, the potential risks associated with it, and the appropriate use of it.  

As a citizen of a country, you know that you have the right to vote, you are required to attend jury duty, and to abide by the laws.  Information technology has created a parallel universe in which citizens interact freely with one another. Just as in the physical world we have laws and rules, specific guidelines and laws exist in association with digital citizenship. In society stealing is taught to be morally wrong and unlawful, with very real consequences. In the digital world stealing music or illegally downloading it are unlawful but not taught as immoral. There is little to no consequence for illegally downloading music. 

The REPs, Respect yourself, Educate yourself, and Protect yourself, are critical points to understand when educating students on digital citizenship.  Students must be equipped with the correct ways in which to use the internet so that they may use it to their fullest capacity.  I think that to convey the significance of digital citizenship we must approach it from a very young age and provide students with the tools and resources needed to think critically.  I believe there needs to be uniformity within education and the teaching of digital citizenship.  All students should be provided the same fundamentals so that they are aware and prepared to use it appropriately in adulthood.  

                                                                                           

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