Digital Citizenship

Digital citizens belong to the digital society. They use technology to actively engage in and with society. Digital citizenship empowers people to reap the benefits of digital technology in a safe and effective way. Digital citizenship is a right; digital skills enable people to exercise this right.

"Our learners need to be equipped with a wide variety of digital skills to be allowed to be in the driving seat of technological-based innovation."
European Schoolnet's Perspective on the New Skills Agenda for Europe

Safe and responsible use of online technology

The Digital Single Market strategy aims to have every European digital. However, children and young people have particular needs and vulnerabilities. Therefore, governments, civil society and industry have a joint responsibility – together with parents, teachers and peers – to ensure that the internet is a place of opportunities for everyone to access knowledge, to communicate, to develop skills and to improve job perspectives and employability.

At European Schoolnet, we believe that digital and media literacies enable children and young people to become critical thinkers, to actively analyse, evaluate and create media messages, and to act responsibly in an online environment.

In our view, we can all help to make a difference. Below you can find links to a variety of portals and resources to help you keep up-to-date with the latest trends and issues concerning online safety and responsibility and digital literacy.

Online safety and responsibility

A safer online environment: Better Internet for Kids

A global day of focus on a safer and better internet: Safer Internet Day

Certified accreditation for schools: eSafety Label

Combat bullying through online and offline interactions: ENABLE

Foster confidence in behaviour changes through serious games: eConfidence

Digital literacy

Foster critical thinking for digital citizens: Web We Want

Managing internet and mobile phone use: Family internet management tool

Active and creative digital life

To be active citizens in today's society we all need to be conversant with technology, as our everyday life is intertwined with digital tools. To function in a digital world, we need digital skills. We need them for learning, for work, for interacting with services, for buying and selling online, for entertainment, and for cultural, political and civic participation.

Digital skills cannot be limited to operational, passive use. They involve active creation, critical understanding, and problem-solving through digital means. Education should strive to empower learners to become creators rather than just consumers of technologies.

European Schoolnet supports the enhancement of digital skills of young people in a variety of ways. Below you can find more information concerning our projects and studies in the areas of digital skills, coding and computational thinking.