Digital literacy and 21st century skills play a crucial role as part of modern-day citizenship and modern life in general. Youth work should be able to encourage this. Therefore, youth workers need an agile mindset, willing to try new things, learn from both success and failure, and be supported to do so.
What is digital youth work?
Digital youth work means proactively using or addressing digital media and technology in youth work. Digital youth work is not a youth work method – digital youth work can be included in any youth work setting (open youth work, youth information and counselling, youth clubs, detached youth work, etc.). Digital youth work has the same goals as youth work in general, and using digital media and technology in youth work should always support these goals. Digital youth work can happen in face-to-face situations as well as in online environments – or in a mixture of these two. Digital media and technology can be either a tool, an activity or a content in youth work. Digital youth work is underpinned by the same ethics, values and principles as youth work. Youth workers in this context refer to both paid and volunteer youth workers.➡️ Example of innovative practices in delivering digital youth work and upskilling youth workers` digital competences are the following ones:
- Using social media in sharing information
- Online youth counselling
- Supporting digital literacy
- Enabling participation with digital tools
- Supporting cultural youth work online
- Supporting the development of technological skills
- Using digital games in youth work
