Youth 2.0: meeting the digital challenge
Brian O’Neill, Dublin Institute of Technology‘Screenagers’ NYCI Conference, Nov 23rd, 2012
A European approach to media literacy in the digital environment
• feeling comfortable with all existing media
• actively using media, through, inter alia, interactive television, use of Internet search engines or participation in virtual communities, and better exploiting the potential of media for entertainment, access to culture, intercultural dialogue, learning and daily-life applications (for instance, through libraries, podcasts);
• having a critical approach to media as regards both quality and accuracy of content (for example, being able to assess information, dealing with advertising on various media, using search engines intelligently);
• using media creatively, as the evolution of media technologies and the increasing presence of the Internet as a distribution channel allow an ever growing number of Europeans to create and disseminate images, information and content; European Commission (2007) Communication on Media Literacy in the Digital Environment
The ladder of opportunitiesO
ppor
tuni
ties
(and
risk
s)
Stage 5: Advanced. Creative. File-sharing,
blogging, virtual worlds
Stage 4: Playing. Sharing Content
Stage 3: Interactive. Communication.
Reading/watching news.
Stage 2: Information and entertainment. YouTube
Stage 1: Popular internet uses. Content-related
Online activities among Irish 9-16 year olds
57% don’t beyond Step 2 – using internet as a mass medium
Only 2% get to the top – most extensive and creative uses compared to 23% EU
A third are in the middle (6-9 activities) including communication/SNS uses.
Digital opportunities as a driver
• A ‘virtuous cycle’ in which digital opportunities drive better skills and experiences for users
• Changes the nature of the public debate Digital
activities
Skills
Internet safety
Trust and confidence
Creative Activities
Digital citizenship
Recommendations
• Support for digital citizenship• Promoting online opportunities• A focus on younger users• New modes of access• Positive content• Building resilience through skills• Industry responsibilities• Awareness raising for parents and
children• Supporting greater teacher
mediation• Understand children’s lives better
Thank you
Email: [email protected] More at www.digitalyouth.ie and www.eukidsonline.net