Opinion: Children’s Day: How Important Is It For Digital Literacy To Enter Classrooms?
Digital literacy becomes essential to prepare children for an increasingly digitalized future, regardless of their areas of interest, highlighted Luís Silva.
By Luís Silva (*)
In today’s world, where technology is present in most aspects of our lives, digital literacy is a crucial competence for everyone and, especially, for children and young people, since their future is expected to be increasingly linked to current technologies and to those yet to emerge. On this Children’s Day, I therefore propose to think about how this concern should be increasingly addressed precisely in schools, places where the promotion of this literacy plays a key role in preparing students to face their future challenges and seize the opportunities offered by the digital age.
Digital literacy is becoming essential to prepare children for an increasingly digitalized future. Regardless of your area of interest or chosen career, the ability to use technology will be an advantage, as most jobs already require a level of digital skills, and trends indicate that the demand for professionals with technological skills will continue to grow. In fact, it will make sense to go further and integrate, for example, the teaching of programming basics in schools, as this education from an early age prepares students to excel in the job market.
Thus, digital education, particularly in programming, is closely linked to the development of essential skills for the 21st century, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, cooperation, communication and creativity, which are and will continue to be fundamental skills for academic and professional success. And this learning and acquisition of new skills can even positively impact the students’ own academic success, improving their results in subjects such as Mathematics, Science, or even Portuguese.
On the other hand, digital literacy in schools plays an increasingly crucial role in making students aware of the dangers of the Internet, making them more responsible and alert citizens. Students should be informed about threats such as cyberbullying, online predators, exposure to inappropriate content, and sharing of personal information. By understanding the risks involved in their online presence, they can adopt safe practices and protect their privacy and digital security. And in addition to learning how to protect themselves from the dangers of the Internet, they can also learn about the ethical and legal issues related to the use of technology in order to be guided on how to behave responsibly and ethically in digital environments, respecting others and contributing positively to the online community.
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