We’re always reminding our kids to “pick up after yourself” and “cover your mouth when you cough”, but lately many parents have had to add rules like “don’t bring your mobile to the dinner table” and more importantly, “don’t use my credit card to shop online”.

We’re the first generation of parents responsible for equipping our children with ‘digital citizenship’ skills – how to use technology safely and responsibly, and how to evaluate, manage and use the information and tools they find online.

The UK website www.digizen.org, created by Childnet International, describes good digital citizenship as “building safe spaces and communities, understanding how to manage personal information, and about … using your online presence to grow and shape your world in a safe, creative way, and inspiring others to do the same”.

But don’t our kids know more about all this than we do? Aren’t they the ‘digital natives’ – a name coined by US education writer Marc Prensky?

While it’s likely your 10-year-old may have more experience with technology than you, adults and kids tend to start using the technology long before they’re taught about responsible online behaviour.

According to a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in 2009, less than 18 per cent of respondents had formal training in how to use the internet. So if you sometimes feel like you’re making it up as you go along, it turns out most of us are.

Read more:http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/news/technology/usingtechnology/yr2010/digitalcitizen.php