Society today faces an escalating and dangerous challenge that affects its stability and values, as a result of the incorrect and irresponsible use of digital platforms and social media, where risks are no longer merely technical breakthroughs, but have turned into distorted daily behaviors.
It is represented by the spread of negative and offensive comments, character assassination, spreading rumors, and electronic bullying, in addition to moral chaos behind screens and pseudonyms, which has created a deep behavioral gap in which some people have begun to separate their moral commitment in real life from their practices and transgressions in the virtual space, which threatens the cohesion of the family and society alike.
In light of these disturbing behavioral transgressions in the digital world, which negatively reflect on the sense of social responsibility, social expert Dr. Lubna Al-Rashdan confirmed to Al-Rai that social responsibility in the digital environment is not limited to compliance with laws and regulations for fear of punishment, but rather extends to include an individual’s awareness of the impact of his digital behavior on others, noting that a true digital citizen must be very careful about the word he writes, accurate in conveying information, and aware of the seriousness of his interactions.
Al-Rashdan called on citizens not to rush into rumors or contribute to spreading offensive comments, but rather make themselves a guardian of values and a builder of a positive digital environment based on mutual respect and cooperation.
Al-Rashdan explained that digital behavior is no longer an individual matter, but rather has broad societal repercussions, which requires the educational and social system to enhance this high sense of responsibility among individuals towards what they publish or interact with in the digital space, stressing at the same time the importance of linking digital citizenship and societal responsibility as an integrative framework that contributes to consolidating values, as responsible digital behavior cannot be achieved without a clear value system that guides this behavior and curbs digital recklessness.
Al-Rashdan presented the features of a comprehensive vision to address this reality, summed up in strategic goals, the first of which is consolidating ethical behavior by clarifying the nature of the social responsibility of the digital citizen to reduce abuses, followed by defining a system of educational and social values that contribute to directing the use of technology in a responsible manner that enhances moral awareness, in parallel with activating the role of educational incubators such as the family and educational institutions to enable users to be the first line of defense, leading to exploring behavioral challenges in the digital space and proposing educational and practical mechanisms to address them.
Dr. Lubna Al-Rashdan concluded her speech by calling for the necessity of adopting a comprehensive national and educational vision that seeks to prepare and qualify digital citizens capable of interacting with awareness, care, and responsibility, in a way that ensures strengthening the cohesion of Jordanian society and preserves its solid value identity in light of the accelerating digital transformations that we are experiencing today.
