“A look into how the “Greta effect” bespeaks digital citizenship and its standing significance.”
Digital citizenship is similar and equivalent to a national citizenship, just translated to technology use, and it’s being granted way less attention than it deserves. People spend hours on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Tumblr and etc. and this pretty much proves the undeniable significance of digital space and community to every individual in this modern day generation.
Ribble (2011) states digital citizenship as the responsible and appropriate use of technology by the public.
How do we measure and assess digital citizenship in ourselves and within digital communities?
One useful framework for understanding digital citizenship is Mike Ribble’s 9 Elements of Digital (Ribble & Shaaban, 2011) .
The nine elements highlight the responsibilities individuals carry when participating in digital spaces. They also turn digital citizenship into a complete framework which covers the social, ethical, legal, and personal dimensions of online life (Yehya Rafaat, 2014) .
The 9 elements of digital citizenship demonstrate responsible online behaviour includes equal access to technology, critical use of information, respectful communication, and awareness of laws, rights, and etiquette. They also emphasise the importance of protecting privacy and security, maintaining digital wellbeing, and engaging responsibly in online economic activities.
Now that we have understood the definition of digital citizenship, it’s time to look at profound examples of digital citizenship being carried into great practice.
Remember Greta Thunberg.
The young climate change activist established a “digital legacy” - one that stirred the digital wave and brought it to life - when she was just 15 years old. The overall impact exerted on the news agenda, online attention, and people’s attitudes and behaviours has been coined as “the Greta effect”. Studies affirm that successful public advocacies like the Greta effect can shape collective efficacy beliefs and motivate collective action, particularly among those with shared political ideology.
Thunberg’s first school strike led to a massive increase of public attention towards the global warming issue after 2016 (Lozano-Díaz & Fernández-Prados, 2021) . This is a result of growing newspaper coverage and online search volume. More importantly, her approach is a classic example of digital communication. Following COVID-19 restrictions, Thunberg shifted the Fridays for Future movement to a #DigitalStrike format, using social media to maintain momentum. This demonstrated a form of "distributed citizen participation," where online platforms acted as essential tools for civic awareness.
'Greta effect' spurring UK children's online activism, Ofcom says. (The Guardian, 2020)
Her most successful yet controversial movement has to be the #FridaysforFuture movement (Lozano-Díaz & Fernández-Prados, 2021) . It encourages students to protest every Friday, demanding immediate action on climate change in line with the Paris agreement. Her success has indefinite ties to her postings on Twitter Page. She has amassed a large following due to her passion already to begin with. To combat the media’s visible biases, Thunberg has wielded her Twitter following and notoriety to in many cases de-centralise her self-image for the sake of elevating a plethora of her other voices, at the same time asking others to do the same (Weadock, 2020) .
Nakate’s Twitter post. The photo, of Nakate and others protesting, stated:
I am Vanessa from Africa. I have striked for climate [sic] for over a year now with fellow #Africanactivists. I have realised that our cries have not been listened to. It is important to know that #Africanlivesmatter. The #RiseUpMovement is changing that story this year! (Nakate, 2020).
Thunberg’s retweet stated:
Africa is so hugely underreported when it comes to the climate crisis (as well as everything else…). If you have a platform - help amplify the voices and stories from Africa. Africa has a key role in the fight for climate justice. Please acknowledge and share their perspective (Thunberg, 2020).
Thunberg’s Twitter presence creates group identification by inviting collective identity surrounding “shared interactions” within “social institutions, organizational structures, patterns of social interaction and a constellation of experiences,” which are built on live experiences but that don’t privilege any individual’s voice or discount difference (Weadock, 2020),
Her actions portrayed a “new type” of activist movement which is based upon the groundwork of digital citizenship, as she exercised controlling her digital image while turning online citizens into real followers. A conversion of public digital interaction to a physical active participation of people in the climate change movement further proved the importance of digital citizenship in influencing reality (Mede & Schroeder, 2024) .
To conclude, the Greta’s effect consolidates the standing significance of digital citizenship, its influence inevitably parallel to traditional citizenship. As digitization has rooted in human civilization to a point that is inseparable, society is in need of a digital monitorship to ensure digital citizenship is being taken care of. Thunberg's efforts, nevertheless, showcased a lively, spontaneous effect as a result of digital citizenship if being exploited to the fullest, if being used correctly.
Week 6 Reflection: What is Digital Citizenship? Hashtag Publics, Political Engagement and Activism
References:
“Greta effect” spurring UK children’s online activism, Ofcom says. (2020, February 4). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/04/greta-effect-spurring-uk-childrens-online-activism-ofcom-says
Lozano-Díaz, A., & Fernández-Prados, J. S. (2021). Young digital citizenship in #FridaysForFuture. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 44(5), 447–468. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714413.2021.1929012
Mede, N. G., & Schroeder, R. (2024). The “Greta Effect” on Social Media: A Systematic Review of Research on Thunberg’s Impact on Digital Climate Change Communication. Environmental Communication, 18(6), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2024.2314028
Ribble, M., & Shaaban, A. (2011). Digital Citizenship in Schools Second Edition. ResearchGate; unknown. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340468314_Digital_Citizenship_in_Schools_Second_Edition
Weadock, C. R. (2020). @GretaThunberg: Navigating Critique and Identity Within Youth Climate Activism on Twitter. Digital Commons @ DU. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1861/?utm_source=digitalcommons.du.edu%2Fetd%2F1861&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Yehya Rafaat. (2014, January 1). The 9 elements of digital citizenship. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340682289_The_9_elements_of_digital_citizenship

















