Investigation of secondary school students' perceptions on internet use within the scope of digital citizenship

The aim of this study is to compare the views of public and private school students' towards the concept of digital citizenship and to reveal similarities and differences. This is a qualitative case study. The study group consisted of 20 students from 8th grade students of Private Çınar Secondary School and 20 students from 8th grade students of Mehmet Akif İnan Secondary School in Edremit District of Van Province. The research data were obtained by a semi-structured interview form by using interview technique which is one of the qualitative data collection tools. Research data were analyzed with content analysis method. No significant differences were observed between public and private school students, and the views of students on digital citizenship dimensions were similar. According to the data obtained, it is seen that all of the students use the internet, mostly access them with their mobile phones and they use the internet mostly for entertainment purposes. It was observed that most of the students do shopping on the internet and log into more known sites. It is observed that all of the students behave in accordance with the rights and responsibilities regarding the rights held on the internet. It is seen that the students mostly talk to their relatives and friends via internet. It is seen that some students say that they also talk to people they do not know while playing games. Students state that they do not share their private information with anyone. It is observed that most of the students are aware of cyber crimes. Students who are aware of the problems caused by the excessive use of the Internet, explain these situations as; excessive weight gain-obesity, addiction, eye disorders, violence, environmental damage, bullying, musculoskeletal disorders, headache mental disorders, nervous disorders, fatigue, laziness, socialization, distraction and focus, and being exposed to radiation. Key words: Digital citizenship, sub-dimensions of digital citizenship, social media, internet