Online Life
Access to online resources that support digitalization of daily tasks and socialization within a broader digital community.
Guiding Questions
- When I need a service or resource, am I usually able to find it by searching online?
- Can I use technology to participate as a member of a group or community?
- Am I able to shop and manage money online?
- Can I find free and legal sources for entertainment online?
- Am I able to save, share, and/or access information using different devices?
- Do I understand copyright?
- Am I aware of the impact that technology has on our environment and our society?
Context Why the skills in each domain are needed for digital opportunity, defined as "the condition in which individuals and communities have the information technology capacity that is needed for full participation in the society and economy of the United States" (H.R.3684)
According to the Pew Research Center, 9 out of 10 U.S. adults say they go on the internet daily, and 41 percent report using the internet almost constantly.17 Undeniably, access to critical information and services has moved primarily—or entirely—online over the past two decades. The internet has become how people access essential services (e.g., renewing a driver’s license), engage in civics (e.g., registering to vote), pursue education (e.g., taking online classes), and do their shopping. As a result, learners must have the skills to stay connected. Beyond practical needs and concerns, while problematic or excessive internet use can be harmful, studies also show that online connections can combat feelings of loneliness and isolation for many users.18
Awareness What practitioners should know before teaching each domain (e.g., related topics, factors that may affect learners)
Practitioners should be aware of the following when teaching skills for online life:
- Online life:Learners may be wary of using the internet or may not be interested in using it at all. For example, learners may associate being online with being tracked by the government, businesses, or advertisers, leading to mistrust.
- Artificial intelligence: Learners should be aware of how businesses and financial institutions use artificial intelligence on their websites to collect consumer information, assist consumers, provide recommendations, and show sponsored or advertising content.
- Managing money online: Some learners may be mistrustful of financial institutions and online financial tools, and thus may not be interested in using these tools at all.
Taking Action What practitioners and programs can do to be inclusive when teaching each domain
Practitioners can take action to be inclusive in the following ways:
Instruction and Training
I can:
- Learn from learners and identify the challenges they may face when it comes to online life skills.
- Speak to the pros and cons of being online, respecting learners’ right to make their own decisions about their lives.
- Support learners in bookmarking and organizing links to websites for key community, social, and consumer resources.
- Understand and provide instruction on the benefits and risks of the usage of artificial intelligence by businesses and financial institutions on their websites.
- Help learners recognize that the content they see online is often algorithm-generated based on their prior online activity and think critically about the consequences of having others decide their access to content.
Program Design
Our program:
- Connects learners to community, social, and consumer services in addition to providing learners with the skills to do so independently.
- Includes links to key community, social, and consumer services on our program website.
Related Inclusive Practices
See the following domains for relevant skills and related inclusive practices:
Information Skills, Lifelong Learning, Privacy and Security
Citations