The National Youth Agency is delighted to launch a new Working with Young People – Media Literacy and Digital Youth Work course, as part of the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Online Media Literacy Strategy. NYA has received funding from DCMS to design a new module to upskill youth workers in media literacy skills, enabling them to discuss issues surrounding online safety with young people they support.
Our lives have been significantly affected by the growth of digital technologies and the various methods of communication and interaction these have created. Many young people have grown up in a digital age with access to computers, technology, and the internet; making it essential that youth workers are able to effectively respond to young people’s changing needs in the new digital landscape.
Improving media literacy will enable youth workers to gain the skills, knowledge and understanding to make full use of the opportunities presented by the ever-evolving digital environment and apply critical thinking to media messages. It will help them to manage and understand the content and communications they receive, and to protect themselves and young people they work with from potential risks and disinformation associated with online media.
The free course contains 5 micro-modules:
- How the online environment operates, includes commercial motivations behind online platforms, digital advertising, and how and why digital communities are used by young people
- How online content is generated and can be critically analysed, looking specifically at awareness of dis-information and how to fact-check to determine veracity
- The risks of sharing personal data online, centring on how personal data can be used by others and the importance of protecting online privacy
- Understanding how actions online have consequences offline, highlighting what behaviour is not acceptable online and the impact extended screen-time can have on wellbeing
- How youth work can enable young people to engage in safe and positive online engagement, brings together learning from modules 1-4 and applying this knowledge to support young people with improving their safety and wellbeing in digital spaces
Leigh Middleton, CEO at NYA said,
“Young people have grown up in a digital age, with the internet, social media and access to technology embedded in their everyday lives. It is therefore essential that youth workers have a good level of media literacy to help promote safe and positive online experience with the young people they support. The new Media Literacy & Digital Youth Work course provides the essential tools for youth workers to feel confident in the digital landscape, ensuring young people are supported and able to thrive.”
The new course will provide youth workers with a wealth of information, guidance, and tools to help them engage with and navigate digital information, online spaces, and content with young people. Click below to access the free course: