In Denmark there is a strong focus on strengthening digital literacy among children and young people. A key player in this work is SSP (School, Social Services and Police), which works in collaboration with municipalities across the country to prevent crime and create a safe analogue and digital environment for young people. The Media Council for Children and Youth and thea Centre for Digital Youth Care have often used the SSP network in Denmark in the context of projects that require direct contact with young people.
The work with the national youth panel has led to a collaboration with the SSP in three Danish municipalities to run a series of youth seminars for 250 8th-grade students. In 2023, the theme was the importance of algorithms for digital literacy. One of these occasions saw the involvement of Jesper Mørkholt, chairman of the specialised SSP committee for digital education in Denmark. In the following interview excerpts, he shares his insights into the effectiveness of analogue activities about digital themes and how the themes of algorithms and data have begun to play a greater role in this work.
Firstly, we asked Jesper Mørkholt about the importance of meeting young people in different ways. He answered: “We meet young people in many ways. We do a lot of teaching at schools and outreach work, walking the streets and alleys where we know the young people are. Then we have conversations with adolescents who have been involved in crime, and we also sit in on interrogations. And here in North Jutland, we collaborate with the police on digital crimes, meeting young people who have been victims of digital offences. We want to signal that it is not the municipality that meets them, but a knowledgeable person who can help prevent a wide range of crimes.”.
An example of effective practices are the youth seminars, which bring together young people from different municipalities to discuss digital literacy issues. These include the impact of algorithms on the content we see on fast-paced social media and entertainment platforms. According to Jesper Mørkholt, it is crucial to create spaces where young people can meet other young people and talk to each other freely about their experiences. Here, Jesper emphasises the importance of events like the youth seminars, which he believes allow young people to reflect on their digital behaviour and share their own opinions. Discussions about algorithms and online privacy have made young people more aware about their digital footprint.
An interesting observation regards the way digital topics are discussed in an analogue way during the seminars. Mørkholt sees this as a strength, since physical meetings allow for deeper discussions and improved learning.
“It's these little chats that young people have when they freely interact with each other. And that's also why we set up these events. Because we think that we have students that are listening to these presentations, and then we expect that knowledge to trickle down to the schools they go to. So, it's not just the adults who stand up and say something. We want the young people to get it in their own 'young way' and not realise that it's an adult telling them.”
It is also crucial to consider how adults can best support young people with digital literacy. Mørkholt recognises the importance for young people to manage online risks on their own, but also stresses the importance of encouraging them to seek help from adults in difficult situations. However, he notes that many young people prefer to seek support from friends rather than adults. It’s important that young people don't feel alone with their online experiences and that adults are able to navigate the digital world so that young people want to talk to them:
"What I hear is young people saying that adults don't have much knowledge about the internet and the various platforms, or at least not their parents. They get more help from their friends. Adults should be able to have a conversation about the internet with young people, and this is something we are trying to focus on in Jammerbugt municipality: adults should take an interest in their children's internet habits. However, young people are afraid that they will be told off and that their social media use will be constrained.
I find that adults don't have the confidence to use many of these apps, and some of them think they have to be super users to be able to help their kids. That's what we want to tell them, that they don't have to be. You just have to be present and willing to listen to what young people are experiencing. So, I firmly believe that if you also try to prepare the adults for this role, it will be very beneficial. This includes both the professionals who work with young people daily, both their parents.”
Jesper Mørkholt emphasises that children and young people today’s take on a great deal of responsibility for the content that they watch, as shown by Danish studies over the past years. At a time when digital platforms play an increasingly important role in young people's lives, cooperation between SSP, schools and parents is essential to ensure that young people are equipped to navigate online safely and responsibly.
Finally, we asked Jesper if approaching digital literacy topics in an analogue way is effective. Does meeting up and being physically together add something to the learning experience? To this, he answered:
"I would definitely say so. Hearing a live person in front of you saying something is very important. The same goes with group dynamics, where a person can be influenced in certain directions by others' opinions. It's thanks to these small conversations in groups that knowledge sticks with young participants, instead of them receiving one-way information. These small conversations act like the 'glue' that allows knowledge to stick.”
In Denmark there is a strong focus on strengthening digital literacy among children and young people. A key player in this work is SSP (School, Social Services and Police), which works in collaboration with municipalities across the country to prevent crime and create a safe analogue and digital environment for young people. The Media Council for Children and Youth and thea Centre for Digital Youth Care have often used the SSP network in Denmark in the context of projects that require direct contact with young people.
The work with the national youth panel has led to a collaboration with the SSP in three Danish municipalities to run a series of youth seminars for 250 8th-grade students. In 2023, the theme was the importance of algorithms for digital literacy. One of these occasions saw the involvement of Jesper Mørkholt, chairman of the specialised SSP committee for digital education in Denmark. In the following interview excerpts, he shares his insights into the effectiveness of analogue activities about digital themes and how the themes of algorithms and data have begun to play a greater role in this work.
Firstly, we asked Jesper Mørkholt about the importance of meeting young people in different ways. He answered: “We meet young people in many ways. We do a lot of teaching at schools and outreach work, walking the streets and alleys where we know the young people are. Then we have conversations with adolescents who have been involved in crime, and we also sit in on interrogations. And here in North Jutland, we collaborate with the police on digital crimes, meeting young people who have been victims of digital offences. We want to signal that it is not the municipality that meets them, but a knowledgeable person who can help prevent a wide range of crimes.”.
An example of effective practices are the youth seminars, which bring together young people from different municipalities to discuss digital literacy issues. These include the impact of algorithms on the content we see on fast-paced social media and entertainment platforms. According to Jesper Mørkholt, it is crucial to create spaces where young people can meet other young people and talk to each other freely about their experiences. Here, Jesper emphasises the importance of events like the youth seminars, which he believes allow young people to reflect on their digital behaviour and share their own opinions. Discussions about algorithms and online privacy have made young people more aware about their digital footprint.
An interesting observation regards the way digital topics are discussed in an analogue way during the seminars. Mørkholt sees this as a strength, since physical meetings allow for deeper discussions and improved learning.
“It's these little chats that young people have when they freely interact with each other. And that's also why we set up these events. Because we think that we have students that are listening to these presentations, and then we expect that knowledge to trickle down to the schools they go to. So, it's not just the adults who stand up and say something. We want the young people to get it in their own 'young way' and not realise that it's an adult telling them.”
It is also crucial to consider how adults can best support young people with digital literacy. Mørkholt recognises the importance for young people to manage online risks on their own, but also stresses the importance of encouraging them to seek help from adults in difficult situations. However, he notes that many young people prefer to seek support from friends rather than adults. It’s important that young people don't feel alone with their online experiences and that adults are able to navigate the digital world so that young people want to talk to them:
"What I hear is young people saying that adults don't have much knowledge about the internet and the various platforms, or at least not their parents. They get more help from their friends. Adults should be able to have a conversation about the internet with young people, and this is something we are trying to focus on in Jammerbugt municipality: adults should take an interest in their children's internet habits. However, young people are afraid that they will be told off and that their social media use will be constrained.
I find that adults don't have the confidence to use many of these apps, and some of them think they have to be super users to be able to help their kids. That's what we want to tell them, that they don't have to be. You just have to be present and willing to listen to what young people are experiencing. So, I firmly believe that if you also try to prepare the adults for this role, it will be very beneficial. This includes both the professionals who work with young people daily, both their parents.”
Jesper Mørkholt emphasises that children and young people today’s take on a great deal of responsibility for the content that they watch, as shown by Danish studies over the past years. At a time when digital platforms play an increasingly important role in young people's lives, cooperation between SSP, schools and parents is essential to ensure that young people are equipped to navigate online safely and responsibly.
Finally, we asked Jesper if approaching digital literacy topics in an analogue way is effective. Does meeting up and being physically together add something to the learning experience? To this, he answered:
"I would definitely say so. Hearing a live person in front of you saying something is very important. The same goes with group dynamics, where a person can be influenced in certain directions by others' opinions. It's thanks to these small conversations in groups that knowledge sticks with young participants, instead of them receiving one-way information. These small conversations act like the 'glue' that allows knowledge to stick.”
- digital citizenship digital skills media education media literacy
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