The pandemic has caused quite a stir with technological disruption across industries. Its domination in our everyday lives has shed light on the importance of digital literacy not just for adults but also for children. In today’s technological world, to be literate in the traditional sense is not enough. It has become imperative for students to be digitally literate to be able to be future-ready and aware of its advantages and limitations.
This new-found digital world offers enormous opportunities and advantages to everyone, however, without a proper understanding of technology, it could get overwhelming, and even dangerous. It does not only amount to the use of social media but also about internet safety, cyberbullying, and ethical use of online resources. Otherwise, students are quite gullible to easily fall into the world of spams and scams.
Many of these skills have become an essential factor in digital classrooms and workplaces. Students will require some form of digital literacy in the future. Therefore, it is high time for institutions and educators to invest in education events, such as the Education 2.0 Conference. It facilitates a dialogue between key stakeholders to work together for the development of the industry.
Here are a few ways in which children can use digital resources effectively:
Consuming digital content
Digital content includes texts, pictures, links, videos, and other embedded items. Being digitally literate is not limited to just reading or viewing content online but also understanding the source of it while figuring out the right way to consume it. Consciously using the internet is key to evaluating information accurately and distinguishing fake news sources from trustworthy ones. Hence, there should be a proper guide for students on how to be safe on online platforms.
Creating digital content
Creating content on digital platforms has become an everyday gig to an extent that people make a livelihood as content creators. Digitally literate people are thoughtful and responsible when creating any sort of content, such as posts, emails, videos, and blog articles. Although in today’s world, children grow up with gadgets, they still need to learn to create the different digital content types. Hence, it is vital for parents and educators to assist students through their digital education.
Communicating digital content
People often underestimate the impact of sharing information or content on digital platforms. Instead, we have to be conscious that whatever we share online stays there forever in some way or the other. Students must be responsible for content sharing and be prepared for its consequences on social media while understanding the hidden dangers as well as benefits and advantages of it to make a learned choice every moment of being online.
