The Future of Online Citizenship
Online Civics - coming soon to a school near you! Think about it, a class to mentor young people and help them use social media for social good? Well, perhaps not for another decade or so… the course isn’t offered yet in schools as far as I know, but I’m willing to bet that we just might see it integrated into the nation’s education curriculum before the end of this decade. A take on the traditional civics class that has long been a staple of many school programs, the online civics class would be designed to address ethical issues specific to online citizenship and the welfare of the online community.
What grade do Millennials get on their report cards when it comes to online citizenship?
At the recent Social Good Summit hosted by Mashable and 92Y, GoodPlay released a two-part study that highlighted the untapped potential young people (ages 15-25 and 10-14 respectively) represent when it comes to using social media for social good (watch the presentation). The study details qualitative interviews with young people regarding their social responsibilities and impact online. Carrie James, a researcher for the study, noted that most young people thought primarily about themselves while online and reported relatively little concern for how their use of social media or online actions might affect others. One respondent summarized that, “I do online what I want to do online. I don’t feel like it’s really anybody’s business to tell me what I shouldn’t do… I don’t really feel responsible to people online. I definitely feel it’s more for me, not for anyone else.”
Does such a thing as online ethics even matter in the real world?
Put yourself in the participants’ shoes… James asked the respondents what they thought about when downloading pirated MP3s. Did they think about their wallets, the impact on the artists, consequences for the music label? I’m guessing the ethical lines may have just become a bit more blurred for you now.
The discussion about the GoodPlay study did not go so far as to compare behavior online and offline, but it’s hard not to draw a correlation between the two sets of thoughts and actions. The major divide here according to James is that online we possess the ability to act anonymously and there is potential for one’s actions to reach a much broader audience—thereby changing the way in which we relate to others online. In the group interviewed by GoodPlay, the Internet was seen as mostly for fun and not something with which youth could create change. Moreover, respondents felt that a lack of adult presence in their online experience contributed to the absence of moral and ethical support online.
With this unique generation of young Americans, we are seeing for the first time the rise of an interesting and potentially troubling paradigm—as the number of young online users grows, so too does the belief among this group that one’s actions do not impact or affect others in this community.
Class is in session.
From the GoodPlay study, James’ team identified several opportunities to engage youth in online civics. The study concluded that while “ethical thinking” online may be infrequent among this group, a more positive online civic experience can be created when youth see their online lives as those which are filled with meaning and responsibility. James proposes the following action steps to help motivate the younger generation to become more engaged online.
- Challenge young people to see themselves as citizens of the online community.
- Encourage youth to use social media for something greater than themselves.
- Move beyond “clicks” to deeper, sustained and more meaningful engagement related to issues beyond their personal network.
Extra credit.
This summation of James’ presentation only looks at one small piece of the GoodPlay study through the lens of youth participation online so I encourage you to watch the presentation and visit the resources yourself. Like any good study, the results inevitably lead to more questions… I am curious to know how the study participants saw themselves—as online citizens, apathetic residents of an online community or perhaps vanguards of the new online frontier? Do youth today see themselves as lacking the ethical thinking that is implied by the GoodPlay study suggested? What do you think of the study?
Comments
The perceived anonymity of the internet makes adults as well as children feel as if they can do anything without thinking about consequences. Some choose to use it for good, others for mischief or worse.
But we now have a generation of children who have grown up as detached individuals. They post and text -- sometimes unbearably private information -- as if there is really nothing out there but space. They can like, dislike, and disconnect from anyone who is uninteresting or out of favor with the group without regard for human consequences.
I heartily endorse the three categories of classes suggested as well as lessons in ethics of using other people's property. It is sad and a little scary that a generation of children may not understand that they are part of a society in which their actions matter.
Geri, that's a good point about the feeling of anonymity online and its impact on both children and adults. In light of the recent tragedy at Rutgers University and growing incidents of online bullying just to name 2 examples - I'm glad the issue is gaining more attention. Hopefully discussions such as this one may help readers think twice about the impact of online actions.
Thanks for sharing this information. I plan to discuss these ideas with my kids and offer them opportunities to contribute in a positive way as a member of an online community.
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