Do you have what it takes to be a good digital citizen?

Being a good digital citizen is much more than knowing the latest and greatest apps — it is about engaging and encouraging others. Oklahoma State University is committed to creating and maintaining a digital living and learning community that fosters the intellectual, personal, cultural and ethical development of its students.

Self-discipline and respecting the rights of others are essential to the educational process and to good citizenship. When you attend #okstate, you become part of the Cowboy family — with that comes the responsibility of observing the standards that are consistent with our academic community. You should aspire to follow and promote the Cowboy Community Standards: citizenship, academics, responsibility, diversity and safety.

 

Through digital citizenship, you can make all the difference in how students interact with others — online and in real life.

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Follow these tips to be a good digital citizen and have a positive influence on the #OKSTATE community!

 

Be smart.
Think before you post. Answer these questions: Is it helpful to others? Is it kind? Is it legal? If your answer to any of these is “no” or you aren’t sure, don’t post it.

 

Have fun.
Social media and apps are designed to encourage engagement and interaction. Use it to build others up, instead of tearing them down. Be a part of the conversation and connect with others. There is value in diversity and sharing different ideas and perspectives.

 

Post with passion.
Whether you love #okstate, your student organization, traveling or your hometown, post about them with passion. Use apps and social media that you are comfortable with to share information about the things you love most.

 

Nothing is anonymous.
Even if you think what you’re sharing is anonymous, anything posted online or within an app is available to others. You can be prosecuted for threats that were posted through “anonymous” apps.

 

Share knowledge.
Social media allows people from all over the world to connect and share ideas, join a conversation and educate others. Actively engage with people with different views, perspectives and backgrounds and you can share and learn together.

 

Be safe.
Besides online safety, keep your physical safety — and the safety of others — in mind while using social apps as well. Unfortunately, predators and others also have access to these apps. Use caution when meeting people whom you have connected with using apps – anonymous or not. Having a buddy system and a way for others to know who you are meeting and where you are meeting is a great way to protect yourself.

 

Be positive.
Positivity goes a long way. Be a positive influence within conversations and share with others when their comments or views are hurtful. You are the best advocate for appropriate speech and actions online.

 

See something — say something.
If you see something inappropriate, hurtful or disrespectful, use the reporting feature within the app to alert the app administrators. The more an item is flagged, the sooner it will be removed — and less likely to happen again.