Social Responsibility can mean multiple things to different people. However, as educators, I still believe that we should mold and guide our students to become good role models and guides for their success. The responsibility of digital citizenship does not just fall on the teachers and students. It is on the community at large. The phrase “it takes a village” rings true in the digital age.
Developing our thoughts on social responsibilities in the digital environment has confronted me with multiple stories that have challenged the moral responsibility of teaching the “rules of the road” in the information super-highway. I feel that it is more important, now more than ever. The recent scandals in the gaming and streaming communities of the treatment of women in these fields and the harassment of female creators and development require a paradigm shift. A shift in the mentality of how diverse our digital world is.
For those who follow their own religious path or are Christian, we translate our faith in the physical world into digital. We conduct ourselves on and offline, which is pleasing to Christ. Romans 13:12 (ESV) reminds us that “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” We have to do what we can to teach others the correct way of conducting ourselves while also addressing those who harm as we are reminded in John 15:2 (ESV) “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” This class has been an eye-opening experience to explore the nuances of instructional design. I will carry these lessons throughout my journey in future education and training.
References
English Standard Bible. (2001). https://www.biblegateway.com/