Peer-reviewed article

Ten digital skills to foster in Children: Role of parents and teachers online

Rupali Sharma · 1 Feb 2025

Abstract

India's diverse socio-cultural landscape shapes the dynamics of media behavior and digital messaging. With the nation's rapid technological growth, AI and Social Media are significantly influencing public opinion and political campaigns. However, these sources often facilitate the spread of misinformation, by contributing to incidents of unrest. The media behavior in India is characterized by trust in forwarded messages and a preference for vernacular content, underscores the necessity for comprehensive digital literacy. Parents and educators play a crucial role in fostering a digital society. Despite efforts from the government and NGOs, the digital literacy gap in rural areas remain particularly vulnerable to manipulative messaging. This paper addresses these gaps by identifying key digital competencies that needs to be imparted such as, critical thinking, media literacy, AI literacy, ethical use, data privacy, content creation, collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and problem-solving skills. This can be done by integrating essential competencies into education, with active and continuous involvement from parents and educators.