Beyond the Screen: Why Digital Citizenship Matters for Every Student
The Big Picture
This week is Digital Citizenship Week (October 19–23).
Years ago, learning about computers in school mostly meant practicing your typing speed and learning how to save a file.
Today, our kids live in a totally different world.
From group texts and social media to YouTube algorithms and AI tools, students are handed powerful technology every single day. Having a screen in your pocket gives you access to the world—but it also comes with real challenges that can be tough to navigate.
Preparing our students for the future means teaching them how to be smart, kind, and thoughtful digital citizens.
When Trolls and Bots Show Up in Local Politics
You might think online drama only happens on national news. But recently, I saw it happen right here on my own campaign pages for a local school board race with fewer than 3,000 voters.
Random bot accounts started leaving strange, rude, and automated comments on my posts.
These weren’t neighbors from down the street asking about our schools. They weren’t even people from Waynesboro. They were accounts from out of state, out of the US, and across the world!
When you're an adult, you learn to spot a fake bot or an online troll, hide the comment, and move on with your day.
But for middle and high school students, this is their everyday social life.
Kids log on and deal with algorithms that try to make them angry, anonymous commenters who say mean things behind a screen, and peer pressure that never turns off at 3:00 PM. If adults get frustrated by online noise, think about how overwhelming it can feel for a 12-year-old.
Keeping Our Local Community Focused on What Matters
We have all seen how fast online toxicity can spill over into real life.
I’m proud that here in Ward D, we have kept this a clean, respectful, and positive race.
My campaign has stayed focused on what actually matters: our students, our teachers, and our classrooms.
Three Practical Digital Citizenship Lessons for Students and Families
Teaching digital citizenship doesn't mean banning technology. It means learning how to use our tools wisely:
1. Ask Questions Before You Click or Share
Don't believe everything you see on a screen. Teach students to pause and ask:
Who made this post?
Is this a real person, or an automated account?
Is this trying to inform me, or just trying to make me mad?
2. Remember the Human Behind the Screen
It is easy to type something hurtful when you are hiding behind an avatar. We need to remind students that online words have real-world consequences on friendships, sports teams, college applications, and jobs. If you wouldn't say it to someone's face in the hallway, don't type it in a chat.
3. Build Healthy Habits at Home and School
Technology should help us learn, not take over our lives. Knowing when to put the phone down, look up, and talk to your family or friends face-to-face is one of the best skills a young person can develop.
Throughout my career, I have used Common Sense Media as an educator, an instructional technology coach, and as a parent. They offer fantastic, free toolkits that help families set simple screen-time rules, check game and app ratings, and talk openly with their kids about digital safety.
The Bottom Line
Technology should make our lives better, not meaner.
By teaching our students how to think critically, stand up to online bullying, and use technology responsibly, we help them grow into confident leaders—both online and right here in Waynesboro.
Let’s keep working together to keep our schools strong, our conversations respectful, and our focus squarely on our kids.
Voting Information
Early in-person voting is open Monday through Friday (9:00 AM–1:00 PM and 2:00 PM–5:00 PM) at the Waynesboro Registrar’s Office, 501 W Broad Street, Waynesboro, VA 22980.
Upcoming Saturday Voting: October 24 and October 31 (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM).
Learn more about our platform and vision for Ward D at adamseipel.com.
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