Playing Digital Security: Youth Voices on their Digital Rights

Abstract

The United Nations UN Convention 1989 on the Rights of the Child changed the way children are viewed and treated worldwide. The Convention has been affecting governments, civil society and the private sector. ICT driven companies on the internet should not be an exception. According to Livingstone, Carr and Byrne 2015, Internet governance bodies have given little consideration and reflection to children's rights. In this paper, it is proposed that in order for youth actively participate in an increasingly digital environment; they need to know better their rights to privacy and freedom of expression, among others. Although the understanding of the digital environments principles lies beyond the scope of average children's school curricula, they can however play and discover simple technological concepts in the classroom. Thus, by early developing their literacy on digital identity management, they will be able to navigate, communicate, play and learn online more safely, achieving a responsible connected presence. A qualitative study on a visually oriented encrypted learning activity game among a group of students aged 16-18 years old, of the third cycle of Basic Vocational Education has been conducted with the following aims: a to understand how knowledge about security technological processes can improve youth's capability for managing their digital identities; b to understand the value of pedagogies of play. Using participant observation, focus group and interviews, youth behaviours and attitudes towards this game based learning approach as well as their perceptions of their digital rights are presented.