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Digital Equity & the Digital Divide: Social Justice Online

No matter our social standing in the “real world,” once we log in online, we enter an even playing field, right? At first glance, the digital landscape might seem like an equalizer; a space suspended from physical reality in which we are able to leave behind our various social identities and the meanings and experiences attached to them. Surely with the abundance of free online media and resources, we all have an equal shot at access and benefit online - except that we don’t. In fact, some scholars argue that digitalization only further highlights social inequality and inequity(Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2011). 

What is the digital divide? According to authors Angelica Pazurek and Solen Feyissa in their 2015 article, “Digital Divide,” the digital divide refers to “the disparity that exists among individuals and communities around the world with varying degrees of access to digitally mediated information and communication technologies and ability to benefit from digital resources” ((Pazurek & Feyissa, 2015). Multiple factors play into the digital divide: access, digital literacy, and awareness of resources being a few. Access is the most basic issue; depending on financial status and geographical location, access to fast and reliable internet and digital devices may be restricted. Issues of digital literacy and awareness of resources are more complicated. Many people have unprecedented access to a horde of information, sources, and networking possibilities. Without proper literacy and awareness, it can be difficult to benefit fully from digital access, and it’s easy to fall prey to misinformation.

Digital equity represents the ideal; a world in which everyone has the literacy, access, and knowledge to participate and benefit fully from online access. This is the idea that digital access could not only be equitable, but bring equity to areas beyond digital engagement. Digital equity is inherently tied to the digital divide; you can’t work towards digital equity without having a systems view of the inequity of the current digital landscape. Understanding the digital divide is essential to advocating for and creating digital equity.

So why is this important? Digital equity is an integral part of social justice. It is, essentially, social justice for the digital age. “Digital equity is about more than access to devices and strong internet connections–it’s about social justice and fair opportunity” (Devaney, Laura, 2014).Think about all the ways that digital media has impacted your life. Off the top of my head, I can think of friendships and mentorships that I developed online through social media, job opportunities that I learned about and applied for online, and countless educational material that I’ve had access to from free websites and online education resources. Now imagine your life without the influence of digital media. I would have far less relationships, professional connections, and employment and educational opportunities if I were to negate everything I’ve gained from internet access and digital literacy. Director of NY Public Libraries, Anothony Marx, makes it clear the vital role that digital access and literacy plays in our modern lives. “We live in a world where access to information is essential for opportunity, for learning, for success, for civic life, for checking facts” (Lonial, Amita, 2015). Digital inequity results in lost opportunities, relationships, education, and personal growth, and contributes to the marginalization of those who are most oppressed. 

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Let’s talk about digital citizenship

Digital citizenship is an extension of our citizenship of humanity into the digital sphere. It encompasses a wide array of important topics in digital engagement, such as online safety, privacy, etiquette, commerce, and wellness (“Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship”). According to Common Sense Media, digital citizenship is "to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world" (Common Sense Media Website, 2018). Think about what makes us citizens out in the physical world - our ability to assimilate and follow common laws and social guidelines, as well as our relation to and connection with others who share in our community of citizenship. Out in the physical world, the concept of citizenship is fraught with history of empire building, capitalism, eugenics, racism,border crossing, and human rights issues. If we can instead conceptualize citizenship as a means of engaging with and belonging to a community of people, we can see why digital citizenship is important and relevant to everyone online. 

What does it mean to be a good digital citizen? “What does it mean to be a good member of a community?” is a better question. We are all part of a grand community of internet users and digital consumers. Part of being a member of a community is practicing respect toward others and looking out for the collective safety and security of the community. Digital citizenship is closely related to digital literacy, but they are two distinct entities. While “digital literacy refers to fluency in the use and security of interactive digital tools and searchable networks,” digital citizenship involves a broader range of factors, although digital literacy is sometimes included under the umbrella of digital citizenship (Deye, Sunny 2017). Simply being digitally literate is not enough to earn one the badge of being a good digital citizen. A good digital citizen is not only literate in digital technology and social media, but protects their own safety and privacy and that of others, engages meaningfully with digital media, uses digital media in a healthy way, respects others online, makes ethical choices online, and follows a code of etiquette and digital law. 

Good digital citizenship can be fostered in adults by highlighting the fact that we are responsible for our actions online. The stereotype of teens being irresponsible online erases the fact that many adults still don’t feel a great sense of personal responsibility for their behavior online. The same warning of “think before you post” should be applied to adults as well as teens. We are responsible for our actions, despite our intentions. This is why it’s important to fact check the information we share carefully and frequently review our privacy settings so that we are protecting our own security and ensuring that our posts are being shared with our intended audience. I think that educators can take a step back from the heavy digital literacy programming for school age kids and teens and refocus some of their energy on adult internet users who could use a crash course or gentle reminder about the pillars of digital citizenship. This article from the International Society for Technology in Education presents some interesting findings regarding kids’ engagement with digital citizenship and what adults could learn from them. The article explored peer to peer learning in relation to digital citizenship and role modeling (Krueger, Nicole 2019). 

Digital citizenship is essential for anyone and everyone who uses digital media. We are all digital citizens online, and in order to reap the greatest benefits from digital technology and access, it’s vital that we act as good digital citizens online.

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Week 7: Social Media & Participatory Culture

Social media networks are the perfect example of participatory culture, as defined in the Week 7 readings. It is relatively easy to gain membership in the culture; all you have to do is create a profile and begin following people and gaining followers yourself. The very nature of social media encourages the creation and sharing of media by the user in the form of posts - either videos, images, text, or sound clips. “Informal mentorship,” as described by Jenkins, Puroshotma, Clinton, Weigel, & Robison in the reading “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture.” This mentorship occurs in multiple ways, through the ability to watch those with more experience and learn from their successes, as well as through tutorial videos detailing how people record and edit their videos, take their Instagram photos, and build followers. The constant influx of likes and comments on posts contributes to the idea among users that “their contributions matter,” and gives users “some degree of social connection with one another” (Jenkins, Puroshotma, Clinton, Weigel, & Robison, 2009).

The social media platforms that I am most active on are Instagram and Facebook. Although these platforms are relatively similar, I use them for different purposes. Instagram is the platform I use to share media that I have created - photos and images I’ve created and/or edited. Most of my Insta followers are friends my own age. Facebook is where I share major life updates, as most of my FB friends are a mix of friends my own age as well as family. Additionally, I share a lot of politically related articles and news on my Facebook page. I don’t often share photos on Facebook, unless I am updating my profile picture or making a special anniversary or birthday post. 

I’ve had Instagram since I was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school. My very first Instagram post was a duck face selfie with one of my friends and fellow cast members, in full stage makeup and costume (we were playing Pink Ladies in a production of Grease). I remember feeling confident in myself and my validity as a young woman, because I had my first boyfriend, who was both older than me (an older boy was interested in me!! I must be so special!) and very attractive to me. He caught the attention of other girls, even the girls I deemed to be popular. It was a huge boost to my self esteem knowing that he had picked me when, in my mind, he could have swooned any girl. Yes, of course, as a feminist and GWSS major, I now know that this was all super messed up and stemmed from my internalization of the patriarchy. But, I think it offers an interesting insight into why I even started using Instagram in the first place and what it meant to me. My very next post was a cutesy couples photo with said bf, and the comments were all very affirming. This gave me some sense of social capital, and I felt validation from likes and comments on my Instagram photos telling me that I was pretty, I was cool, I was worthy. This validation factor of Instagram created the belief in me that my posts mattered and that by regularly posting on Instagram, I was participating in a social circle that I wouldn’t have access to in the strictly face-to-face world. 

Something that caught my eye in the readings was the definition of “The Ethics Challenge.” “The Ethics Challenge” is defined as “the breakdown of traditional forms of professional training and socialization that might prepare young people for their increasingly public roles as media makers and community participants” (Jenkins, Puroshotma, Clinton, Weigel, & Robison, 2009). This is actually something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, especially because as I’ve gotten older, the appeal of Instagram has begun to melt away, and I’ve wondered why. The last post I made on Instagram was a senior photo of my younger brother, which I posted exactly two months ago. The last post before that, a selfie taken on a day when I had put on makeup for a job interview, was seven months ago. Whereas I used to strive to keep up my Instagram aesthetic, posting regularly, being sure to post an “update” selfie if I cut or colored my hair, posting selfies with my boyfriend (a different guy, and a much healthier relationship, btw!!) just enough to make sure people knew that we’re still together… now I simply don’t have the desire to post, not even for the sake of keeping up the appearance that my life fits a certain aesthetic. Firstly, I came to a slow recognition that I wasn’t making these posts entirely for myself, but rather to project a certain image of myself within my online social circles, and secondly, I’ve come to really value privacy. No one told me when I was a young teen joining Instagram for the first time what it really meant to be an avid social media user, a sharer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing your life and experiences on social media, but the circumstances under which I began using Instagram weren’t supportive of clear thinking on the topic of privacy. My account is and always has been a private account, but still, I honestly never really considered what it meant to have all these photos and videos of myself out there online, even if I could control who had access to my account. I joined Instagram because I would be out of the loop if I didn’t have it, and I stayed and became active on it because of the validation it offered, and the chance to control my image and aesthetic online. I don’t regret anything that I’ve posted, but I have let go of my attachment to the platform and instead relish my privacy and the feeling of being free from the burden I had internalized - the burden of creating and maintaining an idealized image of myself online.

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Week 3 Reflection

I wasn’t too surprised by most of what I read in the Common Sense Media article. I can relate to a lot of the experiences teens described. Common Sense Media and the Pew Research Center reveal just how deeply embedded social media is in our everyday lives. No facet of ours lives is untouched. In just a relatively short amount of time, social media has completely taken over society and become a staple for everyone living in the 21st century. 

Common Sense Media highlighted some of the common questions parents tend to ask regarding social media and kids. Is social media good or bad for kids? This was one of the main questions CSM addressed in the article. CSM showed that social media is not black and white; there is no simple answer to this question. The relationships between kids and social media are extremely nuanced, with experiences both on the positive and negative ends of the spectrum, as well as everywhere in between. I thought it was very telling that 54% of teens interviewed stated that “if parents knew what actually happens on social media, they’d be a lot more worried about it.” What actually happens on social media could be cyber bullying, exposure to hate speech (especially racist and misogynistic language and comments) inappropriate advertising, violent or graphic images and videos, political radicalization, and more. 

The idea of kids and teens being exposed to negative content online is especially scary considering that the social nature of social media can be used as a platform for hate speech. A teen could be watching a perfectly appropriate YouTube video, but when they scroll down to the comments, could witness harassment and the spread of hate speech. This makes it even harder for parents to regulate their children’s exposure to inappropriate content and instead leaves moderating up to other users and the social media platform itself.

On the other hand, there were several positive experiences documented in the article. In the video, several kids mentioned never feeling alone because they could always talk with someone via social media. This connectivity certainly has its benefits, especially if it helps teens combat loneliness and isolation. However, this finding went hand in hand with the finding that teens put less value on face-to-face communication and spending time together in-person. Some teens expressed in the video that they wished they could just hang out with their friends in-person more, and feel that social media and smartphones have taken away from the time they would have spent in-person with friends.