As a member of the University of Edinburgh community, it’s your social responsibility to be a good digital citizen, which means treating others with dignity and respect in both physical and virtual spaces Digital citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology to learn, create and participate online. As a member of the University of Edinburgh community, it’s your social responsibility to be a good digital citizen, which means treating others with dignity and respect in both physical and virtual spaces. The following principles are a good place to start: Use the Golden Rule How we behave in virtual spaces shouldn’t differ from how we behave in physical spaces. It’s important to act with empathy, compassion and kindness in both your online and offline interactions. Respect differences The University prides itself on fostering a truly international community, which means respecting cultural differences and honouring diverse perspectives. If you disagree with someone online, engage thoughtfully and avoid personal attacks. Pause before posting The internet is a place of knowledge exchange, but conversations can get heated. It’s worth pausing for a moment before responding to anything in anger. Avoid posting or sending anything that could hurt someone else, damage someone’s reputation or that of the University, or threaten either your own safety or the safety of others. Stand up for yourself and others If you ever feel unsafe online, tell someone. You can also support others who are targets of online abuse or cruelty by reporting activity that threatens a person's safety and preserving evidence of inappropriate or unsafe behaviour. Digital Citizenship LinkedIn Learning Video: What is digital citizenship? (1m17s, from Oliver Schinkten’s Digital Citizenship course, LinkedIn Learning) This article was published on 2024-03-06
