The Online Selection

Navigating the Digital Landscape: The Nine Guiding Principles of Digital Citizenship

In the ever-evolving digital world, platforms like MySpace, Facebook, and TikTok have risen and fallen in popularity, showcasing the dynamic nature of online engagement. The nine guiding principles of digital citizenship, as outlined by Richardson and Milovidov (2019), provide a framework for understanding this phenomenon. These principles—digital access, commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, and security—are essential for navigating the complexities of the internet responsibly and effectively.

For instance, digital communication and literacy are crucial in determining a platform's longevity and relevance. MySpace, once a dominant force, needed help to adapt to the changing communication preferences and literacy levels of its users, leading to its decline. In contrast, TikTok's meteoric rise can be attributed to its intuitive design and the way it aligns with modern communication trends, catering to the digital literacy of younger generations. Similarly, the principles of digital health and wellness and security play significant roles; platforms that fail to prioritize user safety and mental well-being, such as by allowing cyberbullying or data breaches, often fall out of favor. Facebook's ongoing challenges with data privacy highlight the importance of these principles in maintaining user trust and platform sustainability. By adhering to Richardson and Milovidov's guiding principles, both users and developers can foster a healthier, more sustainable digital environment.

This paradigm shows how the principles of online citizenship may rule a natural selection that may affect the success of both platforms and individuals online. I can`t help to think we are not ready to this new contextualization.