Digital aspects of participation in prevention projects and processes within cultural education

The relevance of digital spaces and opportunities for young people

We live in a world shaped by media and are confronted with digital content and devices in our private lives, at work, at various times of the day and for a wide variety of reasons on a daily basis. The use of internet-enabled devices and the content accessible through them has become an integral part of our daily lives. This inevitably means that children and young people also come into regular contact with them, either passively observing or actively using them.

Children who have grown up taking smartphones, tablets and smart TVs for granted – we call them “digital natives” or “digital residents” – are far less hesitant and often (presumed to be) competent in their use from an early age. What is important here is to make a distinction between digital literacy (the ability to operate devices confidently and know their potential uses) and media literacy (the ability to navigate and participate in digital spaces safely and competently).

There are many studies that provide an overview of young people’s usage behaviour. One thing they all agree on is the realisation that children and young people frequently have access to mobile devices, and hence digital content, from a very early age.

Potential and opportunities from the young people’s perspective

What is it about this digital playground that makes it so attractive and appealing? Virtually everything! According to Cooper’s “Triple-A engine” model (cf. Cooper, 1998), the internet captivates users with its (perceived) anonymity, affordability and wide availability. Whether it is social contacts, social participation, knowledge acquisition, everyday help, acting out creative impulses, gaming or simply entertainment and background noise, the digital world delivers reliably and at almost any time. Young people can find an online space where they can work on their self-image, shape their identity and try out different lifestyles without adult supervision. They can slip into roles, try things out, make new friends or catch up with old ones, thereby fulfilling key aspects of adolescent development. In safe spaces and settings that they have chosen themselves, they can gain new insights and educate themselves, including on topics that may be considered taboo, personal or intimate. Free music, videos and images are available at all times. From their perspective, young people find themselves in a modern land of milk and honey.

Acknowledging the current situation

Although the initial reaction of adults and those in a supporting role is often to point the finger and warn of the risks and dangers, the enormous significance that digital spaces hold for young people has to be generally and objectively acknowledged. Failing to recognise and value this fact means closing one’s eyes to the young people’s world or belittling it. The central issue here is not whether one can (emotionally) relate to the enthusiasm and significance. However, establishing a (working) relationship with young people requires an openness to learn about and engage with their topics and interests. Or, to put it in the words of a young workshop participant: “It doesn’t matter whether I think it’s a good thing that we’re surrounded by media. That’s just the way it is now.”

The fear of the unknown or the potential of the unknown?

At this point, while prevention should be understood as primary prevention, it is also important to look at the measures of tertiary prevention. The idea is that the likelihood of harmful consequences unfolding in the first place should be minimised in advance, and that should the situation arise after all, it will lead to a learning effect that can reduce the probability of recurrence.

The risks for young people associated with digital spaces are as diverse as the opportunities these spaces offer them. In the context of sexualised violence, they frequently involve cybergrooming; exposure to age-inappropriate content, such as pornography or as a result of non-consensual sexting; and images, videos or recordings that are relevant under criminal law. Problematic initial contact, manipulation and dependencies can progress so quickly that they are difficult to spot in the moment. A lack of knowledge about standards and rights in digital spaces further complicates matters.

Preventive strategies in digital spaces

One key aspect is the fact that we can no longer distinguish between the online and the offline world because they are so closely linked. And this is precisely where the work with children and young people should start. Digital experiences leave behind analogue feelings, reactions and impressions. Social media users must be empowered to recognise these real emotions, take them seriously and draw the relevant conclusions. A bad gut feeling when chats become unpleasant is a warning sign that also applies to social interactions online. Doubts as to whether I should disclose information or personal details feel as real in the analogue world as they do in the digital world and are a sign that something is amiss.

Therefore prevention strategies do not need to be re-invented but adapted to digital spaces. Naturally, the variety, frequency and intensity of potentially dangerous situations are much greater and more complex online, but the underlying dynamics and needs do not differ from those in the analogue world.

Reacting with closed-mindedness and rejection, failing to acknowledge the now ubiquitous digital nature of young people’s daily lives and not integrating it into our collaborative work amounts to a rejection of young people’s realities.

Christian Grüner

Requirements of adults and those in a supporting role

Taking all this into account, there comes a time when people entrusted with supporting children and young people and fostering their development must be aware of the following: when working and communicating with children and young people, digital topics and aspects that are not limited to the online world but are mutually dependent must not be excluded or ignored. They must at least be taken into consideration and included, or better still, actively addressed and integrated into projects. In practice, this does not mean that activities should only take place with the aid of smart devices or digital content. However, we must be clear about one thing, apart from offering potential, online content and experiences are also simply ubiquitous.

What is required is a good deal of openness and the willingness to embrace new ideas that may not always align with one’s own plans and expectations. An interest in the lives and concerns of young people who one comes into contact and works with is both indispensable and beneficial. This does not mean that we must immediately become experts in young people’s media consumption but rather that we should create interpersonal spaces to discuss media content, which young people are welcome to fill themselves.

A specific example may be to ask what photos and videos that relate to the topic currently being discussed they have seen recently. A question about inspiring visuals is likely to lead to media content. It is also possible to ask the children and young people whether any clips, audio files or images could be incorporated into the current process. What this demands of professionals is less about teaching or training and more about engaging in joint discussions and signalling an openness to debate.

Including digital participation

As mentioned above, one of the fundamental tasks is to adapt existing and familiar elements to digital spaces. This also relates to involving participants and the question of how this can be achieved in a smart way.

Starting with a culture of participation, digital tools offer good and easy-to-implement options to address specific issues and gather perspectives. In terms of content, this can range from fundamental topics, such as the collaborative development of rules or a code of conduct, to a digital suggestion box that provides an anonymous and easily accessible feedback option. There are plenty of free tools for this, for example, Flinga, Padlet or Mentimeter, which can be shared via links or QR codes.

Embracing the gaps 

Not everything has to be digitised. It is not a prerequisite for working well or creatively and on an equal footing with young people. At the same time, online tools and smart devices can be used as enjoyable and varied extensions to existing methods and ways of working because they are often simply better at engaging young people and can also simplify and complement the work processes of professional staff.

Including digital aspects in safeguarding policies

Based on the fundamental principle that the purpose of the safeguarding policy is to contribute to the protection of children and young people and minimise situations in which the children’s welfare could be put at risk, it is clear from the above that this can only be achieved through a good mix of analogue strategies and digital components. As a result, an institutional safeguarding policy must address precisely these considerations and not exclude digital aspects. This does not mean that existing strategies should be shelved, instead they should be reviewed to see if they can meet these requirements. If this is not the case, they may be worth revising with a view to how existing points could be expanded to include a perspective on digital content.

One of the great challenges often lies in the fact that these issues have been addressed far too rarely in practice and that digitality was excluded from day-to-day work. Yet what may seem daunting and overwhelming at first can, ultimately, be resolved quite easily with a little creativity.

Risk and potential analysis

When considering potential spaces and processes that could harm the welfare of children and young people, the shift away from purely analogue settings towards online environments is an obvious and easily achievable step.

Questions as where participants feel uncomfortable or find themselves in difficult situations should now also include meetings and interactions in virtual worlds:

• Where do peers communicate with each other?
• Where do young people meet adults there, including perhaps teachers?
• Which age-inappropriate or problematic content might be accessed on the institution’s devices?
• […]

The question of potential must also be considered:

• Where and how can children and young people be empowered and informed through the use of mobile devices?
• How can their use be channelled specifically towards the preventive strategies mentioned above?
• […]

Code of Conuct

The digitalisation of the code of conduct is a similar undertaking. Just as we have agreed a fundamental approach that describes and formally sets out how to conduct work with children and young people, we must also develop and adopt a position on digital matters. How is the integration of virtual content in our activities viewed? Are there any benefits to the use of social media? And what happens to mobile devices during a workshop?

Conclusion

In order to continue to support and inspire young people, we need more than tried and tested programmes and practices, we also need the courage to embrace new methods and content. Reacting with closed-mindedness and rejection, failing to acknowledge the now ubiquitous digital nature of young people’s daily lives and not integrating it into our collaborative work amounts to a rejection of young people’s realities.

While it may require greater flexibility and a readiness to accept that we may need to switch from a teaching role to a learning role, the enormous potential of digital content should be accepted as a benefit. Thanks to their diverse nature, digital elements can make a valuable contribution to cultural education processes. This opportunity should be seized with a good measure of courage and openness.

Translation (english): Alex Emerson

Translation (english): Alex Emerson