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How self-restricting online activity diminishes digital equity
Last month I participated on a panel for the American Association of University Women Colorado Springs Chapter about the vital importance of digital equity for an inclusive and functioning society. I realized that my prepared answers for some of the questions could serve as an introduction to my newer subscribers about why I’m so passionate about the upsides of our digital world and the many ways digital technology is changing the human experience for the better.
Before I get to that, though, here’s a quick intro to digital equity courtesy of my friend, Deb Walker, Regional Community Engagement and Public Affairs Manager at Ting Internet, convenor of the panel.
Digital Equity 101
The digital divide is the gap between those who have affordable access, skills, and support to effectively engage online and those who do not. It prevents equal participation and opportunity in all parts of life, and disproportionately affects:
people of color
Indigenous peoples
households with low incomes
people with disabilities
people in rural areas
older adults
women and girls (globally)
Digital equity means all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy. To be full participants in digital technology, people need devices, connectivity, and literacy (knowing how to access and use it). Digital equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services.
Now, on to the questions …
Can you talk about the work you're doing in the digital space?
I study, write, and speak about how digital connection is positively changing us as human beings and what it means for us in how we conduct relationships, structure society, and care for each other — both the people we already know in our physical world and strangers on the internet, who sometimes become people we know in a different way than people in our physical world.
There are scholars who say digital connection is as much of a change for our species as the development of language, impacting how we communicate, interact, organize, and thrive. I believe digital inter-connectivity is making good things possible that seemed impossible before, like building a global consciousness around shared concepts of peace, justice, equity, and radical empathy.
I direct people’s attention to our ability to do things together that we used to need institutions and organizations to lead or do for us. Historically, when institutions didn’t do something — either intentionally or due to lack of awareness — there was no way for individuals to effectively fill that gap. But during frigid temperatures in our city a few weeks ago, individuals and small organizations that were connected digitally and physically stepped in to ensure 400 of our most vulnerable community members had a place to go to get out of the sub-zero cold for several days. It wouldn’t have been possible to mobilize so many people so quickly without the aid of digital connection. The incredible love, vision, and sacrifice of a few was amplified by digital technology, empowering many to contribute in smaller ways to create a larger impact in the aggregate, and to fill a huge gap left by large traditional institutions.
I strive to help people understand digital technologies are powerful tools we can use to share the world we want to see. I talk about the possibility of digital connection growing us into a more caring, collaborative, networked species where all thrive because of our interconnectedness and interdependence.
I want people to embrace the upsides of our digital world, be inspired to harness its powers to truly change the course of human history, and contribute their voices to digital discourse that impacts what all of us know and believe to be possible.
What do you observe as the primary obstacles for the people you work with in achieving digital equity?
The primary obstacle I see with achieving digital equity is people self-restricting their use because they don’t know how to incorporate the tremendous benefits of digital technology without drowning in the negatives and distractions. The dominant narratives about the internet being dangerous, social media ruining the world, and digital spaces being distinct and separate from “real” human experience drives people out of digital spaces. We’re missing out on unique, insightful, and uplifting perspectives because so many well-meaning people choose not to contribute their voices to online dialogue that informs crucial discussions and decisions.
This is especially true for women. A global study by The Economist Intelligence Unit found that 9 out of 10 women restrict their own digital activity because of online gender-based violence. Half of the women surveyed believe the internet is not a safe place to share their thoughts. One out of three women think twice before ever posting anything online. Technological design is already biased in favor of men’s experiences and preferences, since women are still woefully underrepresented in tech fields, on boards of tech companies, and as recipients of investment funding. In combination, this means our world is disproportionately modeled on men’s experiences and perspectives. The digital self-restriction and self-censorship of women means we are all missing out on vital insights and innovations.
What does digital literacy mean to you?
To me, digital literacy means understanding that the digital world is every bit as real as the physical one. A digitally literate person approaches technology as a means of human connection, interaction, organization, and expression, rather than focusing primarily on the technical aspects of a particular digital device, piece of software, or social network.
Digital connections may be different than ones that spring up in physical spaces, but they’re still human. Plenty of people throughout history forged and conducted relationships across physical distance. Threads, Instagram posts, TikTok videos, and memes are all forms of human expression just like epic poetry, novels, haiku, feature films, documentaries, ballets, pop songs, and sculpture. We're still in the infancy stage with these forms of expression, so we don’t yet know what societally and culturally acknowledged forms they’ll solidify into, but they are human expressions.
Of course, digital literacy requires an understanding of how tools like augmented reality, AI, or engagement-maximizing algorithms are being used (and can be used) in digital spaces. Concerns about digital literacy for youth, however, are actually concerns about youth not being media literate in the ways analog and hybrid generations are. Digitally-immersed generations have always had both digital media and traditional media. They've always had at least some access to devices or awareness of devices. They’ve been presented with information in a steady stream of varied topics, tones, voices, and mediums, so they have a completely different framework for literacy than people raised in world where print media and television news were the dominant mechanisms for delivering info. Digital technologies are life as they know it.
Learning digital tools is more of an undertaking for analog and hybrid generations than for digital natives. Comprehensive digital literacy requires a willingness for older generations to learn from the perspectives and abilities of digital natives developing differently from human beings who grew up in a non-networked world. Likewise, digitally-immersed generations can benefit from the experiences and skills of those who grew up in an analog or hybrid world. Intergenerational cooperation is key.
How can we help the average community member understand the importance of digital equity?
It starts with changing the narratives about digital technology being disruptive and bad for human beings. Embrace and emphasize the good things new technology creates. What powers does technology give people? What do people need to embrace and access that power? What happens to people who are excluded from embracing that power? What does it mean for all us when some of us are excluded? Emphasizing the upsides of digital technology — and the ways in which it is required for full participation in our society — makes the importance of digital equity more clear.
Community members will understand the importance of digital equity when they understand how integrated the digital and physical worlds are.
Digital Kindness Journal Prompt #3
What kinds of things do you usually post on social media?
Answer this prompt wherever you journal or the comments section to particpate in a community discussion. If you’re interested in a dedicated journal for exploring your social media attitudes and behaviors, the Digital Kindness Journal: a year of guided reflections for compassionate social media use is available for purchase on Amazon.
MISCELLANEA
Gender Digital Equity. I’ll be speaking at the Colorado Springs International Women’s Day celebration on March 2 about why women’s self-censorship in digital spaces matters and what we can do to change it. Watch me talk about the event on the local news.
Designing Safer & More Welcoming Digital Spaces. Analogizing digital spaces to the physical spaces we’re all used to navigating can help us better understand how to make them more safe and welcoming and how to behave more humanly in them. This study from BYU demonstrates that women are perpetually scanning the perimeter when walking at night, while men tend to focus on a fixed object ahead. The authors recommend decision-makers consider the “varied experiences, perceptions and safety” of both men and women in designing physical environments. What might digital spaces look like if they were designed with the experiences, perceptions, and safety of women in mind? Or designed by women?
Community of Difference. Northern Exposure is now streaming on Amazon. I vaguely remember liking the quirky show when I was in high school. Now, I’m really appreciating how it depicts a community built on respect and mutual aid holding space for the idiosyncrasies, eccentricities, and even bigoted views of the individuals within it. It shows how people grow and change through interactions with other humans, and how communities can still include those who don’t change (as long as they don’t harm others or hold power over them).