In thinking about digital identity, I grapple with questions: is this important or even necessary? Can I operate or continue to exist without having a digital identity? Do I even need to be concerned about my digital identity?  The answer is yes, my digital identity is important and necessary. In the same way in the past, someone could physically impersonate an individual so it is, so our digital identity could be ‘hacked’.  It is virtually impossible to exist in the world today without a digital identity and I certainly must be concerned about my physical identity and protect it as well from being stolen.  Whether we engage in online banking, or online studies, or purchasing online we exist in the digital as well as physical world and as such we have a digital identity. In fact, one could be forgiven if you say that the line of demarcation between these worlds has been erased or blurred.

For young people, this is literally the world they exist in. But how many of them take the necessary precaution that is so important to protect themselves? Further, how many of them know what information to share and what not to share?  I believe it is important that the home (parents) and the school have an essential role in educating students on being responsible digital citizens and protecting their digital identity.  The article below outlines the Nine (9) Elements of Digital Citizenship.

https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/digital-citizenship-ethics