The new contours of digital citizenship – 07/20/2023 – Education

The digitization of society and the democratization of technologies for the production and circulation of information offer us an unprecedented opportunity to access content on any subject and give voice to different perspectives. At the same time, they also bring great challenges for the construction of knowledge and participation in digital environments.

The enormous number and diversity of authors in these spaces, with diverse and often hidden purposes, can expose us to misinformation, rumors and other phenomena that victimize individuals or entire communities. Added to this scenario are the effects of algorithmic content personalization, offering slices of reality that can direct behavior, fragment society into antagonistic realities or direct individuals towards extremist environments.

It is crucial, therefore, to learn to examine “the complex dynamics between individuals, media and the systems and structures that shape our world” (NAMLE, 2023). We need to learn to deal with this environment intentionally, reflectively, and critically—not just at school, but throughout our lives. Without this literacy, we become more vulnerable to the destabilizing effects of disinformation, which threaten institutions and the very integrity of the social fabric.

Without these skills, we are also unable to perceive and combat hate speech or systemic injustices—created or perpetuated by messages in media or by underlying characteristics of technology itself that can increase violence, reinforce prejudices, and deepen inequalities. Without this more critical look at digital environments, young people are exposed to engagement dynamics that can pose risks to their mental health.

If communication is a fundamental human right, educating for information is essential. We have the right to access quality information to learn, think independently and make decisions that affect our public and private lives. We also have the right to participate in society’s dialogues and decisions. For that, however, we need to review what we understand by “digital inclusion”. It is not enough to guarantee internet access; it is also necessary to ensure the development of skills that ensure a strengthening and healthy use of the communication and information environment, as well as the possibility of occupying spaces through positive participation and ethical self-expression.

Terms like “digital natives” and “digital citizenship” also need to be seen through a new lens. Although the new generations are familiar with screens, this does not mean that they have the necessary skills to act attentively and reflectively in these environments. This becomes even more serious as we naturalize the intense presence of computing in everyday life, so that its operation and impact are no longer perceptible or questionable. In a context where online and offline life are constantly intertwined, mutually affecting each other, we must recognize that there are not two sets of rules for coexistence and citizenship. Educating citizens for an empowering participation in communication spaces requires going beyond the merely protectionist logic, enabling them to occupy these spaces in a positive and responsible way, respecting the values ​​of ethics and justice, recognizing and valuing diversity, both inside and outside the digital environment.

Making society more resilient to rights violations in digital environments is a complex problem. The causes of these violations are multiple and intertwined — from the low level of information literacy of certain population groups and our own prejudices to the characteristics of the algorithmic environment, controlled by commercial interests and subject to the unpredictability of human reactions. A collective effort is needed to maintain a healthy communication environment, with accountability and joint effort from all actors involved, from the population to vehicles and platforms.

Education is the basis of this effort, and it is in the school that we have the greatest opportunity to examine and interrogate these dynamics. By getting to know the technological environment more deeply, we recognize what is human in it: this is the only way we can propose new forms of participation, engineering and technological governance to design new futures.

Coordinator of EducaMídia, a media education program at Instituto Palavra Aberta