Digital Technology and GCE

Digital technology is a primary source of information and news for young people today. It is a lens through which they view the world and form opinions on key issues of our time. As educators, we both compete with and work within this space. Ideas and messages that are propagated through online and social media can lead to misconceptions/ ignorance/biases and unchecked viewpoints. Social media algorithms that personalise user experience, can result in consumers become caught in digital echo chambers that reinforce existing viewpoints rather than challenging them and presenting competing alternatives. This can lead to a hardening of positions on important and topical global issues such as immigration, inequality and climate change. It can be used by far right activists to stir discontent, evoke fear and anger, and mobilise groups through ‘calls to action’. As such, while social media can be a powerful tool to educate and inform, it can also act as a vehicle that creates and propagates extreme views and intolerance.

Within this area we consider:

How do we teach for social justice, social cohesion and sustainability in a world where young people are bombarded with digital content that can demean and stifle a sense of global collectiveness?

How can educators respond to the challenges posed by digital technology/social media’s representation of big issues amid a context of information overload, cognitive dissonance, inadequate levels of debate, underling fear and anxiety about big issues, and arguably a wavering sense of trust in political figures?

What literacies/competencies do young people need to navigate this complex online space and critically interrogate the content they are exposed to? How can educators help develop these important skills?

Materials that respond to these questions:

The role of digital technology in informing young people on GCE related issues (McGarr, 2024)

Exploring the significance of critical digital literacy in addressing biases and online echo chambers to promote ethical and thoughtful use of digital technologies …

Understanding Hate and Extremism Online (Malone, 2024)

How the Far Right uses technology and social media to spread hate and extremist ideologies …

These presentations supported conversations at the Ubuntu Network Dialogue Day held on 12^th June 2024 – Link to 2024 Dialogue Day Handbook