According to Digiteen (2014), the nine elements of digital citizenship can be grouped as indicated below, as quoted in the 2015 Digital Citizenship Module Manual, p22.
In order to understand the cross-functional or cross-application nature of these elements, each element will be discussed in detail.
Digital Access
Technology should be accessible by everyone, (Brownell) . Considering the Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship as explained on www.digitalcitizenship.net , it is stated that digital access is “full electronic participation in society”. Both sources suggest that various socio-economic factors influence the possibility of this greatly.
Creating the opportunity for “equal digital rights and supporting electronic access” is one of the aims of digital citizenship. The term digital exclusion has been coined to describe those individuals who do not have adequate access to technology, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) .
Digital Communication
Digital communication can be briefly defined as the exchange of information via an electronic medium, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) . This exchange can take place over various platforms, cell phone, email, instant messaging, etc. however the large number of platforms may confuse users, (Brownell) .
Digital communication ties in with digital etiquette and literacy that are discussed later in this document. To try and limit the high level of confusion and reduce the risk of overwhelming the users, they should be educated to a degree where they understand the uses, limitations, implications and responsibilities associated with the use of the various communication platforms.
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy can be defined as the “process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology”, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) . This implies that digital citizens are responsible for educating themselves in terms of the various technologies available and to understand what their resulting responsibilities are, when making use of these technologies.
Various elements must be taken into account when contemplating the concept of digital literacy. Students must be taught the history of technological development, they must be educated by means of and educated in terms of the latest technologies. The divide between the practical application and theory of technologies should be considered and student material should be developed accordingly in order to ensure a high level of digital literacy when the student enters the work place.
Digital Etiquette
Digital etiquette is defined as the standards or procedures for electronic interaction/ conduct, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) . The implication is much more than just the language to use when communication electronically. It has unfortunately become the norm to actively communicate electronically regardless of the current situation.
It has become evident that rules and policies regarding digital etiquette are no longer enough, inappropriate digital conduct must be addressed as it occurs. This will reduce the high number of individuals that disregard the social implications of inadequate digital etiquette.
Digital Safety and Security
Digital safety and security refers to ″electronic precautions to guarantee safety″. Safety in this sense refers to the individuals’ physical and virtual safety. Accordingly, it has become necessary to create both physical and virtual barriers in order to reduce or limit the risk individuals’ face in both environments.
In terms of the digital environment defenses such as firewalls, intrusion detection software, virus protection, data backups and surge control in order to ensure that information is safeguarded, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) .
Digital Rights and Responsibilities
Digital rights refer to the freedoms extended to every individual in the digital world. Accordingly, digital responsibilities refer to the responsibilities of every individual in the digital world, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) .
As stated by J. Hector Fezandie (The Moral Influence of a Scientific Education, 1984) , and later again by Ben Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man film, ″With great power comes great responsibility″. This remains true as all digital citizens have the right to freedom of speech and privacy, with various other rights depending on the country within which the individual acts as a digital citizen, but along with these various rights each digital citizen has a greater responsibility towards the digital community to act within these rights while not infringing the rights of other digital citizens.
Digital Law
Digital law refers to the electronic responsibility for an individual’s actions and deeds, whether acting alone or on behalf of/ in accordance with another, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) .
Digital Commerce
Digital commerce refer to the electronic interaction of a transactional nature, generally involving the exchange of resources within an electronic medium, (Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, 2015) . As for the digital citizen, the digital business also has rights and responsibilities within the digital environment and must adhere to the digital law in order to create a safe and secure environment for a digital consumer to interact with the business.
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