I recently encountered the idea of digital citizenship in Reid Hoffman and GPT-4’s Impromptu: Amplifying our Humanity through AI, and it immediately struck me as something worth exploring.
A good digital citizen approaches digital content with an ethical mindset.
Practising good digital citizenship benefits not only society as a whole, but also our personal online safety and individual development.
In this post, I’ll delve deeper into digital citizenship and offer some guidance on how we can all improve, myself included.
Ethical consumption of Digital Content
Ethical consumption of content might sound a bit daunting – what does it even mean? It’s a fair question.
The truth is, our online choices matter; we become what we consume. The information we engage with shapes our thoughts and opinions.
Therefore, for our own well-being and that of society, we must be mindful of what we consume, particularly if the content is inaccurate, whether intentionally or not, especially in this era of AI and deepfakes.
Strive to develop your critical thinking skills and assess the validity of information before accepting it and using it to shape your worldview.
Protect your mind from digital erosion
If I’d written this post a year ago, I wouldn’t have included this section. However, the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) raises a crucial question: how can we use it without diminishing our own cognitive abilities?
As digital citizens, we naturally want to leverage this technology to boost our productivity and free up time for other pursuits. It’s a delicate balancing act, and one I’m still navigating, learning from my own experiences.
Currently, I avoid using AI for:
- Writing my first draft of a blog post such as this one.
- Processing notes into my Zettelkasten system; the deliberate friction involved aids my learning and thinking.
Responsibility of a Digital Citizen
Our primary responsibility is to protect ourselves by ensuring that the content we consume doesn’t mislead us.
Question everything you encounter, including your own beliefs. It’s not easy, and I certainly find it challenging, but it will help you gain control over your thoughts and how the outside world influences you.
Share only content that you believe to be reliable.
Don’t hesitate to contribute to society through digital media, responsibly and thoughtfully. Your contribution is just as valuable as anyone else’s.
We all have something to learn and share. I do it through my blog and social media. Find the methods that work best for you.
It’s important to be thoughtful and careful because we all have a digital identity shaped by our online activities. Make sure it accurately reflects who you are.
I encourage you to consider how you use AI and identify any areas where you prefer not to use it.
I’d be interested to hear your plans for becoming a better digital citizen.
Further reading
- Impromptu Amplifying our Humanity through AI by Reid Hoffman and GPT-4: The book which inspired the idea
- Thriving Alongside AI in 2025: Essential Skills for the Age of Intelligent Machines: A recent post on the skills we should be looking to develop to make best use of AI.