Major Project Update – The Ribble Connection

Major Project Update

So far for my major project, I have begun by focusing on the two applications that I will be exploring personally: Instagram and TikTok. As I mentioned in my previous post, I already use both platforms, but not to their full capabilities. I have decided to branch out and explore TikTok from a creator perspective as well as a viewer. I have also created a public Instagram account for my dog to see the differences in usage and engagement of a private account vs public.

Since creating my dog’s Instagram account, he has gained 73 followers. I started by following some friends as well as other Corgi accounts. Everyday or two, I have been trying to find some new accounts to follow in hopes that some will follow back (this is sometimes the case, but not always). You can check out Loki’s Instagram account here and give him a follow. He is super duper cute!

I have also made my TikTok account public and posted two videos. My first video received a little over 600 views! I was shocked. However, it only receive 6 likes (lol). I am guessing since it was my account’s first posted video the platform pushed it out to more people. My second video only got about 130 views and 6 likes. I am not following my Instagram strategy of “liking/following other similar pages to mine on TikTok in hopes that they follow me back” as I also use my TikTok account for personal scrolling/entertainment and I do not want the algorithm to think that I only want to see baking videos like mine lol.

9 Elements of Digital Citizenship

During class last week, author Mike Ribble joined our class to discuss his work on digital citizenship. One of the topics presented was the 9 elements of digital citizenship. These 9 elements were chosen to help guide parents and teachers in helping children build digital citizenship skills and “give students the right tools to engage with the digital world in ways that promote healthy online communities” (Waterford.org). Originally, Ribble had split these 9 elements into the following 3 sections: Respect, Educating, and Protecting. More recently, Ribble has split these elements into three different sections (S3): Safe, Savy, and Social. These three new sections include all 9 elements, but laid out in a way in which educators can cover all elements with a focus on each section. Ribble has also created a framework illustrating this along with guidance on the sub concepts to be covered in each of the S3 sections.

Original 9 elements framework

Connections Between the Two

1. Digital Access- Both TikTok and Instagram are applications which are easy to access. You are able to see content from these apps without even making an account. However, there are some limits if you do not have an account, such as being able to like or comment on posts. Both applications also offer the option for private accounts.
2. Digital Etiquette- Students (and adults) using these applications on public accounts need to be mindful of what they are posting. The use of both applications with a public account essentially equates to sharing what you have posted with the world and there is no way of knowing who is watching. It is important that posts are meaningful. It is also important to recognize that these applications offer many different filters or editing tools etc. and that what you are seeing may not always be as it it truly is.
3. Digital Law– Open accounts can lead to issues such as cyberbullying and targeting from predators who lurk online for venerable children. It is also important to note that these applications have privacy policies that aren’t always thoroughly read and understood when an account is created. We must begin to fully understand what the apps have access to and how they are using this data.
4. Digital Literacy- Reading and understanding of service agreements and privacy policies can also fall under this category. Additionally, people who are more digitally literate will more likely make good decisions when engaging online. Being digitally literate will also help people to decipher what is real or what is “fake” or “filtered”.
5. Digital Communication- Both applications permit users to exchange information in authentic ways and to connect with others who have the same interests. You can also easily share content from both apps via other applications such as Snapchat and Facebook, or texts.
6. Digital Commerce- Both platforms contains advertisements that pop up. They are either paid for by a company directly, or they are “sponsored/promoted” by an influencer who is being paid by the company to use their account to promote the product. TikTok also offers “TikTok Coins“ which can be purchased with real money to be used on the platform (I will touch base on this more during my app over-haul).
7. Digital Rights & Responsibilities- This section is really where users must learn how to properly engage online. Critical thinking and recognition/identification of potential problems are crucial skills needed in order to protect yourself on any online platform.
8. Digital Health & Wellness- Users must be aware of potential health impacts these applications can have. For example, it is super easy to get lost scrolling through videos on TikTok if a time limit isn’t set. Instagram, on the other hand, has been proven to negatively impact mental health and body image.
   

These are the main connections I can see between the two applications I have currently begun exploring for my major project & Ribble’s 9 elements of digital citizenship. Do you see any that I missed? How do these elements connect to your project?