Digital literacy
Creating the global citizens of tomorrow
Young people have increasingly turned to the internet during the past two years, not only to continue their education during a global pandemic, but to counteract the anxiety and social isolation that came with lockdowns and physical distancing. This according to Phakamile Madonsela, who co-ordinates Media Monitoring Africa’s (MMA) Web Rangers — an international digital literacy programme implemented in South Africa to help young people navigate digital challenges and become active digital citizens.
During this time of uncertainty, young people have used the internet to meet new people, connect with others across the globe, and instantly share videos, pictures and information. The virtual world has also become a space of learning. “Sadly the same internet that connects, inspires and teaches also has the potential to cause such great harm, and without the necessary digital and media literacy skills, many children fail to use the internet in an effective and responsible way,” Madonsela says.
With more online education and remote teaching options becoming available, children are inevitably spending more time in front of their screens. “The nature of social media and the internet is that it is fast-paced, information is ever-changing, and oftentimes published by individuals not informed by best practices,” she warns. “Therefore, in order to engage with information meaningfully, children must develop certain skills to know which content is relevant, accurate, and represents children in all their diversity.”
For this reason, she says, Media Monitoring Africa has partnered with the Impact Amplifier to launch South Africa’s first mis- and disinformation comic book that will empower children to combat fake news and encourage a media environment where children are more responsible and engaged. “It is efforts like these that will ensure that children gain those vital skills in order to take up a leading role in the digital world,” she says.
Improving digital literacy allows young people to develop their own capabilities, build their future and become active digital citizens who contribute to the development of the country and the world. Active digital citizens are empowered to use the internet and social media networks safely and responsibility in order to pave their way in an increasingly digital world. “Digital citizenship is using the internet, social media in a way that is ethical and reflects your rights and responsibilities,” Madonsela explains. “Active digital citizens have online social skills that allow them to use technology in a fun, safe, responsible and respectful way within the digital community.”
Well-informed digital citizens are also better equipped to deal with online challenges such as cyberbullying — an important consideration considering how much time today’s youth spend online in virtual interactions. There is a need for educators and parents alike to implement aggressive digital and media literacy strategies in learners of all ages. “Without these skills, children will not be able to interact with technology, to work alongside it and be able to apply critical thinking to enhance and advance their lives and that of others,” explains Madonsela.
While the online world is not without threats, it does offer young people phenomenal opportunities for growth and learning. “If you think of the grade eight learner using Whatsapp to create a mathematics tutoring group using voice notes, images and video calling to teach the subject to other learners across South Africa, then you can start to see the great impact that the internet has when used by an active young digital citizen.” With that said, she adds, these tools cannot be realised to their full potential due to overarching challenges such as network access, access to affordable quality devices, and access to digital and media literacy skills for South Africa’s children.
When done right, however, age-appropriate digital citizenry helps prepare young people for the future and for the world of work. Madonsela says there are several ways in which parents and schools can start encouraging children to become digital citizens: “Working with children I find that different approaches are needed. These entail open communication about online behavior, what platforms are being used and for which activities. This needs to be coupled with empowering children to access child-friendly and appropriate online content by introducing parental control features on apps and devices. This will provide young people with the skills to take advantage of the new opportunities that technology and the internet offer, while still being aware of the challenges that exist in integrating these technologies into our everyday lives.”