The Heart of Digital Citizenship | Anne Collier | TEDxGeneva

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of digital citizenship, particularly for children and young adults, who make up a significant portion of internet users. They discuss the need to consider the perspectives of digital citizens in policymaking, focusing on online respect and civic engagement. The talk highlights the challenges of defining digital citizenship and the potential pitfalls of fear-based messaging. The speaker advocates for a citizen-sourced approach, promoting three literacies (digital, media, and social), practice, rights, and agency to empower young people as active participants in the digital world.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👧‍👦 The importance of considering the human aspect in digital citizenship discussions, as many digital citizens are children and youth.
• 🌐 Digital citizenship involves using technology to engage in society, government, and politics, and is distinct from digital literacy.
• 🧩 The concept of digital citizenship is not universally defined, with terms like 'netizenship' being used in some regions.
• 🌟 The speaker's research indicates that youth have different concerns and experiences online compared to what adults assume.
• 📉 Despite fears, research shows that many social problem indicators among youth have decreased over time, not increased with internet use.
• 🤔 The speaker suggests that fear-based messaging around youth and technology may be counterproductive.
• 🏛️ Policymaking around digital citizenship should be 'citizen-sourced', engaging young people's input and perspectives.
• 📚 Emphasizing the 'three literacies' of digital citizenship: digital literacy, media literacy, and social literacy.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The need for practice in digital environments to develop digital citizenship skills, akin to learning by doing.
• 🌱 The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a framework for considering children's rights to protection, provision, and participation in digital spaces.
• 💪 Encouraging youth agency in digital citizenship, recognizing them as stakeholders and leaders in their own online experiences.

Q & A

What is the significance of considering the perspective of young digital citizens in policymaking?

Considering the perspective of young digital citizens is crucial because approximately one-third of all Internet users are under 18, and their experiences and thoughts should inform policies related to digital citizenship.

How is digital citizenship defined by Wikipedia?

According to Wikipedia, digital citizenship is defined as utilizing IT to engage in society and government and politics.

What are the two parts of the updated definition of digital citizenship proposed by researchers at the University of New Hampshire?

The updated definition of digital citizenship proposed by researchers at the University of New Hampshire consists of two parts: online respect and online civic engagement.

Why is it important to differentiate digital citizenship from digital literacy?

Digital literacy is important but not sufficient for digital citizenship. Digital citizenship also encompasses online respect and civic engagement, which are about serving interests larger than oneself.

What does the term 'juvenile' coined by Dr. Finkelhor signify?

The term 'juvenile' signifies the exaggerated fear of the influence of social change on young people, including technology.

What are the three research milestones mentioned in the script regarding youth online risk?

The three research milestones mentioned are: the Harvard School of Education's 'Good Play Project', the EU Kids Online project, and Dr. Finkelhor's work on the term 'juvenile' and the analysis of social problem indicators.

Why is it essential to maintain strong communication with young people regarding their digital experiences?

Maintaining strong communication is essential because shutting down digital experiences due to fear can lead to young people finding workarounds, and it's better to guide them in developing resilience and understanding risk assessment.

What are the five pillars of intelligent policymaking around digital citizenship suggested in the script?

The five pillars suggested are: citizen-sourced input, three literacies (digital, media, and social), practice in digital environments, rights as per the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and agency for young people.

How does the script suggest involving young people in the policymaking process of digital citizenship?

The script suggests involving young people by making sure that digital citizenship policies are citizen-sourced, which means they should be developed from the bottom up, including input from young digital citizens themselves.

What role do young people play in their own well-being according to the script?

According to the script, young people are stakeholders in their own well-being and not just potential victims. They have agency and the capacity to act and make change, both online and offline.