Reflection 1
When this course started, I honestly thought digital literacy mostly meant being decent with technology.
When this course started, I honestly thought digital literacy mostly meant being decent with technology. Like knowing how to use apps, search for stuff online, make a blog, or figure out new platforms without struggling too much. But after going through the first part of the course, that definition already started feeling way too small.
One of the main ideas that stood out to me was digital citizenship. Before this, I mostly connected that phrase to being respectful online and not posting dumb things, which is part of it, but it is obviously bigger than that. Jesse Miller’s talk made me think about how the internet is both a place of connection and a place of conflict at the same time. That honestly feels like one of the most accurate descriptions of online life right now. The internet can help people learn, build communities, stay in touch, and access opportunities they would not have otherwise. At the same time, it is full of misinformation, manipulation, privacy issues, and content that spreads way faster than people can actually evaluate it.
That connects a lot to the part of the course on evaluating online information. I think one of the easiest bad habits to fall into is just seeing something online that sounds confident and then assuming it is probably true. I do that more than I should, especially if I am scrolling quickly or if the information already lines up with what I expect to see. That is why I found the SIFT method actually useful. It made evaluating information feel more concrete instead of just being told to “think critically,” which is one of those phrases that gets said so much it starts to lose meaning. But actually stopping, checking the source, looking for better coverage, and tracing something back to its original context makes a huge difference. It makes it a lot easier to notice how often online information is incomplete or misleading, even when it looks polished.
The other part of this week that stuck with me was digital footprint. Searching yourself online sounds simple, but it actually feels weird when you do it. It makes being online feel more real in a way. You realize that your digital presence is not just what you intentionally post. It is also what gets attached to your name, what information platforms collect, and how easy it is for small pieces of your identity to exist in places you are barely aware of. I think a lot of people my age are so used to being online all the time that it feels normal, and because it feels normal, we stop questioning it. That does not mean it is harmless though.
I think that is what I am taking from this part of the course most. Digital literacy is not just technical skill. It also involves judgment, awareness, and responsibility. It means knowing how to move through online spaces without treating everything as neutral or trustworthy just because it is digital. That feels a lot more important than just knowing how to use the tools.