Digital Literacy
It seems, as if overnight, our world has transformed itself into a digital one, where much of our lives happen online.
In a world where virtual reality threatens to overtake reality, and to not have an online presence of some sort, is to not exist at all (or so it seems), it has become vital to understand the rules and regulations of this brave new world.
Everyone, but especially children and young adults, need to be educated about digital citizenship and the rights and responsibilities that stem from it, just as much as they are educated about their real life citizenship and their roles.
There are many aspects that comprise the digital citizenship, but I would like to focus on five main categories:
Digital Literacy
As a concept, it can be most easily explained as having the ability to critically assess and understand the digital resources available online. Now, more than ever, we have a seemingly unrestricted access to information. The trick is to learn how to sift through it all, and to use this information to our advantage.
Cyberbullying
Ah, the dreaded word- and rightly so. Today many, if not most, internet users have experienced cyberbullying in some form. As always, children and young adults are most at risk for this behavior. Cyberbullying is a crime, and its effects can be far reaching, especially in real life. It is of utmost importance to teach our children how to react to it, and how to prevent it from happening.
Online Safety
A bit of a catch all phrase, but really, when it comes to digital citizenship, this is probably the most crucial part of it. Although digital safety can mean many things, it primarily pertains to safe behavior and habits that all children should practice while using the internet.
Digital Responsibility
Teaching responsibility is an essential part of any education (and an even more essential part of growing up!), the the digital form is no less important. With great power comes great responsibility and the internet is no exception. While the online world provides us with plethora of opportunities, it is up to us to use them wisely, and with full awareness of potential consequences of our actions.
Digital Health and Wellness
A somewhat new concept, the field of digital health is just emerging. However, enough research exists to support the growing trend. While the online world has been booming and enthralling us all, it comes with its own set of side effects. It is important to teach our young about mental health and the effects the digital world can have on it. As always, prevention is better than cure.
The digital world has crept slowly into our lives, but it is here to stay, whether we like it or not. It is best that we learn to live with it. But more importantly, that we learn to live with it well- to treat it not as an obstacle, but rather a blessing in disguise that can make our life better.
Hi Justyna,
First off, I love the layout of your blog. It is very easy to navigate and understand. I liked how you opened up with discussing the fact that the online world is slowly taking over our real world. It certainly seems like this is happening now more than ever, doesn’t it? I also agreed with something else in your opening statement, that teaching digital citizenship is just as important for adults as it is for children. Many children are currently being born into a world of technology, yet many adults have to understand it at a much older age, after years of doing things differently. No matter the age, we need to all be taught many of the same simple rules. I think this leads into your discussion of the term, “cyber bullying.” Cyber bullying is just as awful as being bullied at school, because there is almost no escape. Students who are being bullied at school no longer get to feel safe as soon as they are home, due to the behavior continued on social media. Even if that child were to delete all social media platforms, other people are still seeing and reading what is being said about this child, and it certainly can still reach and hurt them. Even though this may not be apparent to everyone, adults need to be taught about cyber bullying each other as well. People are often shamed about different pictures and opinions that are posted online. I think mothers are often shamed or bullied now based on the types of pictures they post of their children. Other parents often post very negative comments disagreeing with something about the picture, or disagreeing with this person’s parenting in general. As a child or as an adult, it is important to understand the significance of every picture, post, and comment we put out there for the world to see.