Abstract
Digital citizenship has become a topic of growing importance among academics and policymakers alike, at the center of debate and theorization around the skills youth need to navigate and actively participate in our digital world. On a global level, a variety of stakeholders — including government, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and academia — have adopted the term to develop and shape formal and informal learning programs that aim to help youth address the challenges and embrace the opportunities the digital environment may present. Yet, there is little consensus as to the broad areas (e.g., safety and well-being, civic and political engagement, identity exploration), and skills within them, digital citizenship should encompass. In this spotlight, Youth and Media explores the concept of digital citizenship, providing an overview of the current dialogue surrounding the term, with a focus on several key questions. Why does digital citizenship matter? Why has the concept become central in discussions about youth (ages 12-18), education, and learning in the 21st century? In a world where the online and offline are increasingly blending, to what extent should we emphasize the role of the “digital” in “digital citizenship”? To what degree do youth feel connected to the term “citizen?” How is the concept of digital citizenship similar to or different from other concepts, such as digital literacy or 21st century skills? How should we approach these concepts to more effectively foster the skills youth need to thrive in today’s society? And to what extent have we as decision-makers, academics, and educators been successful at incorporating youth voices in the development, implementation, and evaluation of digital citizenship initiatives?
Highlights
For many of today’s youth, the use of digital technologies has increasingly become a routine part of their daily lives
Three, compared to other concepts, such as digital literacy and new media literacies, digital citizenship generally appears to be more holistic, and in our opinion, a more helpful notion to refer to when debating important areas of life related to the digital landscape, as well as the corresponding skills needed to be successful within those areas
After studying the emerging sociocultural practices that youth, mainly in the U.S, develop as they interact with digital media tools, networks, and communities, Jenkins et al (2006) identified eleven “new media literacy” skills, including play, appropriation, collective intelligence, transmedia navigation, networking, and negotiation
Summary
Many different terms and concepts are used to describe, frame, and categorize the various skills that help youth make better use of digital technologies. For the purpose of this report, we decided to focus on the concept of digital citizenship. We wrote this part I to share the factors that have shaped this decision and the elements that continue to influence our thinking in this space.
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