We often hear the term “net literacy,” but many people may not know exactly what it means. However, if your internet literacy is not very high, there is a high risk of getting into unexpected trouble.
In this article, we will explain an overview of net literacy, how it differs from
IT
literacy, and why you should conduct net literacy education, so please use it as a reference.
What is internet literacy?
Internet literacy refers to the knowledge and ability to use the Internet safely and correctly.
Literacy means “knowledge about a certain field and the ability to utilize it,” but by adding the word “net” to the beginning, that field becomes the Internet.
In other words, it is easy to understand if you think of it as the ability to master the Internet.
The Internet is very convenient and is used in a variety of places, but on the other hand, the information transmitted on the Internet is not always accurate.
There is a lot of false information and intentional lies, so it is necessary to have the ability to judge the truth of information and discern what is correct.
As people become increasingly dependent on IT, it is now possible for anyone to easily send information, which is why all generations are required to improve their internet literacy.
What is the difference between internet literacy and IT literacy?
IT literacy is a synonym for internet literacy, but what is the difference?
As mentioned above, net literacy refers to the ability to use the Internet, but IT literacy refers to the “comprehensive ability to utilize IT,” which covers the ability to properly use information devices such as computers and smartphones, including the Internet. refers to “ability”.
In other words, the difference between the two is the difference in scope, and IT literacy has a broader meaning.
Why should we conduct internet literacy education?
It may be a well-known fact that the need for internet literacy education is increasing, but let’s start by thinking about why internet literacy education is necessary.
There are many reasons why internet literacy education is necessary, but they can be summarized into the following two.
Let’s think about what that means in detail.
To prevent third parties from feeling uncomfortable
The first thing to realize is that the Internet is watched by people all over the world.
What you casually send out, thinking no one will see it, may deeply hurt someone who happens to see it.
Since you can’t see the other person’s face when communicating on the Internet, you tend to use hurtful words without hesitation.
Once posted on the Internet, anyone viewing the content can freely copy it, so it is not possible to delete everything.
Sometimes, it pushes people into a deep corner, and there are countless cases of this happening, where things become irreversible.
Internet literacy education is necessary to avoid making third parties feel uncomfortable.
to protect yourself
The purpose of improving internet literacy is also to protect yourself.
For example, some people have faced irreversible social sanctions for uploading silly videos to social networking sites that only their friends can see.
When a friend posted it where anyone could see it, it quickly spread around the world, and the individual was also identified.
There are actual cases where a really casual communication led to a situation that made it difficult to even survive.
One of the reasons why this situation developed can be said to be that internet literacy education was not conducted properly.
Risks of low internet literacy
What risks do you face if you have low internet literacy?
Net literacy refers to the ability to use the Internet effectively, but we must not forget that it includes not only technical aspects but also a correct understanding of risks.
Major social problems are occurring among generations with low understanding of internet literacy, so let’s keep this in mind.
The following five points can be cited as possible risks.
Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Personal information leaked
Nowadays, the management of personal information is becoming more and more important, but we must be aware that there are cases where people with low internet literacy can leak information in unexpected ways.
For example, let’s say you upload a photo of your neighborhood to SNS saying the sky is beautiful.
There is a lot of information packed into the photos you casually upload, and your name and address may be identified from just that one photo.
Important company information leaked
You can rest assured that important company information is strictly managed, but letting your guard down can be fatal.
In an actual leaked case, a female engineer posted a video on YouTube showing her company’s pre-release smartphone in her hands, and the video quickly went viral, resulting in the engineer being fired. there is.
This is also an example of how being around even one person with low internet literacy can be dangerous.
SNS account goes up in flames
Little social media pranks have become a real problem in recent years.
Carelessly expressing opinions can lead to a firestorm, and end up putting not only you, but those around you involved, in a corner.
If an official SNS account operated by a company goes up in flames due to inappropriate postings, the impact can be so great that the survival of the company is at stake.
Sometimes it can lead to criminal activity.
Because individuals can now express their opinions easily, it is necessary to be as careful as when communicating face-to-face.
You may be infected with a dangerous virus
When using the Internet, you must always be aware of the risk of being infected with a dangerous virus.
Virus infections are mostly caused by active actions.
For example, if you open an email from someone you don’t know and click on
a link
in it.
This is not limited to people you don’t know, and there are also cases where the message is sent under a false name that looks just like the real thing.
Self-defense responses to the virus are completely different depending on whether you know about it or not, so such education is also important.
Copyright infringement may occur
If you accidentally upload content that infringes copyright, you may be charged with copyright infringement.
It is naive to think that if you delete the information immediately, it will not be discovered; anything you do on the Internet is always kept as a communication record by service providers and Internet providers, so you cannot escape it.
It is important to understand that although the Internet appears to be anonymous, it is not.
Points to consider when increasing internet literacy
We have thought about the importance of internet literacy so far, but what can we do to improve it?
There are three main points to improve your internet literacy:
Let’s consider each point in detail.
A company-wide effort
There is no point in having high internet literacy for just one person.
If there is even one person in a company with low internet literacy, it could lead to a situation where the survival of the company is at risk.
The important point is that improving internet literacy is a company-wide effort and that everyone works together to improve it.
Have a medium- to long-term perspective
Internet literacy education should not end with a single course. People forget, and if nothing happens, their sense of danger gradually declines.
Efforts to improve internet literacy from a medium- to long-term perspective are necessary, such as holding regular training sessions.
Understand the differences in values between generations
Differences in values between generations are also important. The way they think and feel about using the Internet is completely different between the generation that didn’t have the Internet when they were children and the generation that grew up with it.
Such differences in values can lead to discrepancies in perception, such as “I don’t need to say that,” and as a result, education may not be adequate and the child may be overlooked.
For this reason, it is important to provide education that bridges the differences in values between generations.
Specific ways to improve internet literacy
We will explain what methods are available for internet literacy education, and finally, we will introduce specific ways to improve internet literacy.
Hold and participate in study sessions to learn literacy
Simply preaching the necessity and importance of literacy will not reach all employees.
We hold regular study sessions to improve understanding by giving specific examples and having discussions about what should have been done, why things happened the way they did, and imagining the situation if you were in that position. goes up a notch.
There is also a net literacy test, so it would be a good idea for everyone to take it together.
Develop internal guidelines
Even if you receive internet literacy education with the same content, the level of understanding may differ depending on the generation or the personality of each person, or the subject may be underestimated.
To prevent this from happening, it is important to establish guidelines as a company policy.
When formulating guidelines, it is important to incorporate opinions from legal affairs and general affairs, and to ensure that the contents are specific and easy to understand so that anyone who reads them can agree on the correct use of SNS, how to avoid risks, and where responsibility lies when troubles occur. desirable.
summary
Net literacy is the ability to use the Internet effectively, and while anything is possible on the Internet, it is necessary to correctly understand what kind of risks are hidden.
Due to a lack of internet literacy, there are many cases of leaks of confidential information, damage to corporate image, copyright infringement, etc.
Some lives have been lost due to slander.
All of these things were preventable, and once they happen, there is no going back.
It is important to provide regular internet literacy education not only for yourself but also for all employees.