A Systematic Review of the Literature on Digital Citizenship

Introduction

In its traditional sense, citizenship refers to membership in a nation (Fischman and Haas 2012: 170). Since the first time this concept emerged, it has reached the present day by crossing different regions and cultures in a dynamic state. The concept of citizenship was used to express a citizen who believed in political participation, freedom and equality in the city-states of Athens, a person living under the auspices of the dominant structure in the medieval feudal state, and people who adopted the same ideology in the Soviet Union (Parlak & Kaftan, 2010). On the other hand, events affecting societies fundamentally have transformed the understanding of citizenship. In the historical process, the increase in population, new inventions, geographical discoveries, and developments in science and technology bring about a transformation in the understanding of citizenship (Gutas, 2011).

With the transition from an industrial society to a scientific society, the development in science and technology has been reflected in every aspect of life and integrated with daily life. At the end of this integration, concepts such as digital citizenship began to take their place in social life (Akgün et al, 2011). Therefore, since communication between citizens has started to take place in the digital environment and with technological tools, a good citizen and a good digital citizen should be able to act safely, consciously and effectively when using technology in real life and the virtual environment.

The development of information and communication technology has made the tools in which these technologies are used widespread. As a result of these developments, it has become easier to access information with these tools without the limitation of time and place, and it has become possible for each individual to communicate with citizens living in another world’s geography. At this point, the concept of digital citizenship, which has emerged with the elimination of borders in the point of communication and communication of the Internet and with globalization, can correctly use technology and the tools included in human life, respect personal rights and ethical rules on digital platforms, and use digital tools responsibly and security awareness. Refers to the person (Mossberger et al., 2007).

Digital citizenship is the individual’s effective use of communication tools and displaying the responsibilities expected from her daily life in the virtual environment. According to Farmer (2010), digital citizenship is defined as education aimed at raising people who access information in the virtual environment effectively and use this information positively, both socially and individually. Therefore, digital citizenship is the problematic, safe, legal and ethical use of the individual’s channels of access to information and the Internet (Bailey & Ribble, 2007).