Navigating Through a Digital World: The Importance of Being Aware of Privacy

SIGNIFICANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE TERMS & CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY STATEMENTS OF INSTAGRAM: DIGITAL LITERACY

PRIVACY STATEMENTS OF INSTAGRAM: VITAL INFORMATION ON PRIVACY LAWS

Laws and Digital Literacy

    In this technology-driven world, various social media and online platforms are made available with just one click. Access to information is just around the corner and is easily acquired as long as the needed tools are obtained. Here is a short anecdote about the importance of digital literacy and digital law:

    Once upon a time, there was this individual named Steffi, who loves to spend her spare time scrolling information in the online platforms as doing this does not only widen her understanding about things around her but also opens a venue to further nurture her learning about the topics discussed in their class. There was this instance that she stumbled upon a website where it teaches how an individual could download free movies and even earn from doing so. As she is also a fan of watching movies, she decided to follow the instructions. She gets to acquire her desired movies and even shares them through her social media accounts. Few days later, her account was banned for a certain time due to the violations that she has committed from sharing a copyrighted movie. With that, she has realized that what she did was illegal and against the rules and regulations of the platform where she has shared the movie.

    In connection to that, here is a two-page infographics created by our group, which aimed to highlight the importance of proper understanding in regards to the terms and conditions and privacy statements of Instagram. It was divided into sections to emphasize each concept that comprises digital literacy and digital law.

      On the first page, it was divided into four sections which are the definition, category, applications and importance of digital literacy. Meanwhile the second page, delves on the aspects of digital law wherein it comprises the sections of defining what data policy and online privacy law is and terms that the user might encounter upon signing in the application.In addition to that, awareness and being a responsible user is also emphasized in this material. It is licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA.

         Among the online platforms, one of the most utilized by individuals is Instagram. With that, the group has come up to create an open educational resource about its terms and conditions and privacy statements. It was presented in an infographic form, as this allows us to convey information in a clear and concise manner with additional imagery which would help audiences that would utilize this material easily remember the information contained in this resource. The group was divided in several departments to ensure that the assignment was equally distributed and to be able to accomplish it on time, there were the Writers, Editors and the Graphic Designers, and finally, the Reporter.

     The first department, which are the Writers, are tasked to write an academic essay about the importance of digital literacy and having a proper understanding regarding the digital laws especially when utilizing social media applications like Instagram. They are given ample time to complete the task. The individuals in this department have seen this opportunity to improve themselves in the aspect of expressing their ideas in written form. Meanwhile in the Editors department, they were to edit and summarize the key points that were drafted by the writers, in order to ensure that the content that will be included in the infographics would not be overly crowded with information. There were minimal delays that occurred in finishing the task due to the busy schedules of the members assigned here and there was also a little confusion as to where the final output should be written. But despite such occurrences they still manage to create a great output then after that they have communicated with the Graphic Designers.

      In this area, they were tasked to create and design the infographics. They have decided to split the output into two, in order for audiences to properly read and understand the contents. It is also their way to not overcrowd the resource created. They believed that through the material they have created, they would be able to leave an impact, in which individuals who would utilize the output, were able to understand the importance of digital literacy and digital laws and be able to apply these learnings in reality. In addition to that, they are able to unleash their creativity side which is evident on the infographics created. And for the last department which is the Reporter, the individual assigned here is in-charge of writing to the audience the necessary depth and description to the work created by the group. Interviews were also made in order to know the process and point-of-view of other members during the creation of the material. Being in this area allows the individual to understand the different aspects of why the material was created in that way and how the different tasks have molded or improved them.

     The rise of technology has not only made the lives of many people experience the convenience in terms of the services that individuals acquire but also the benefit of attaining information with just one click. However, there are moments that people neglect to give importance on certain aspects especially when utilizing social media platforms like Instagram.

    Through the infographic which is an open educational resource that our group has created, it would not only serve as a guide on how to be a responsible user but also to spread awareness in order for users to understand the use and importance of digital literacy and digital laws. The output’s goal was to serve as an eye-opener to those who utilize social media platforms. Everything we share and do online has an effect not only on the user but also on the lives of others. We hope that our material would create a significant impact in informing our audiences to be more careful in sharing personal details and activities in the online platforms as negligence in properly understanding the terms and conditions and privacy statements might result in privacy conflicts and further complications.