Inclusive and innovation learning: looking for an education for digital citizenship

Abstract

There are many global problems that children and young people face today, such as new technologies, digitalization and climate changes, among others. These issues represent new threats to youth, but they also constitute new learning opportunities and contacts relevant to their well-being and growth as human beings. In this sense, the European Parliament, in its Resolution on the rights of the child on the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, came to elect inclusion and innovation as the guiding principles of education and training in a world dominated by digital technologies. This study aimed to identify the rights of minors when are using the Internet, the digital platforms and social networks and in all new spaces for digital communication, whether through computers, tablets, smartphones and game consoles. The method consisted of a theoretical and descriptive approach to relevant international instruments for the protection of the rights of children and young people, such as the European Convention on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Social Charter, the European Parliament Resolution and the Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2016-2021). In addition, a critical analysis was carried out, based on the participation of the young people who were also heard, the achievements obtained and the challenges that arise, as well as the concerns and specific needs of adolescence in this area. The results show that the technological means used at the level of personalized education and partnerships between educational establishments have a high potential to combat the inequalities that exist between youth, bridging the digital divide between students from different socio-economic contexts and regions. The digital world presents opportunities, but it also presents risks, namely, harmful content, sexual exploitation, deprivation of privacy and unprotection of personal data, many resulting from the child's own conduct, such as cyber-bullying and self-exposure. Parents and educators feel the inherent difficulties and concerns without knowing how to proceed, digging the generational gap. There is an urgent need to promote access to quality training - “education for digital citizenship” - to combat radicalization and hate speech and ensure the protection of children's rights, promoting more creative, critical and secure digital communication.