Lesson 2: Digital Literacy & Online Safety
A focus on digital literacy and online safety in the context of cyberbullying.
Welcome to Lesson 2 of Cybersecure It and Safety Net’s cyberbullying course. This lesson will primarily focus on digital literacy and online safety. Digital literacy means having the skills you need to navigate, learn, and work in a society where communication and access to information is increasingly dependent on digital technologies like the internet and social media. However, digital literacy cannot be done safely with practical skills to access, manage, manipulate, and create information in an ethical and sustainable way.
Cyberbullying is an issue that is linked to digital literacy and online safety. Through the promotion of digital literacy skills and fostering a culture of online safety, individuals are better equipped to prevent, address, and ultimately combat cyberbullying. For example, from the previous lesson, we learned that cyberbullying is a form of online harassment that poses risks to the online safety of individuals. Online safety measures such as protecting personal data, managing privacy settings, and practicing responsible digital citizenship are crucial for preventing/addressing cyberbullying. Understanding the online safety practices equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and others from cyberbullying incidents.
That being said, it is crucial for us to teach digital literacy and online safety to the youth in our world today:
Educate students about the significance of safeguarding personal information and potential risks associated with sharing it online through the discussion of password security. (Strong passwords, necessity to regularly change them)
Explore the privacy settings available on various platforms and teach students how to manage their online presence effectively
Encourage students to maintain a respectful and empathetic online presence in order to foster positive digital citizenship
Teach students to recognize and avoid potential online scams through the introduction of common online scams and strategies to identify and avoid them
