The Covid-19 pandemic has been a game-changer for everyone. While the remnants of this deadly disease still linger and families mourn the loss of their loved ones, the same disease has untangled the complex framework of society. It has allowed people to question age-old structures, take a deep dive into their needs and wants, and discover the benefits of the flourishing online learning space.
Although the internet has been a lifesaver in connecting people through these difficult times, little do we identify the digital oppression that existed in our country.
Take Geeta for instance; my house help, whom I often insisted on learning a thing or two about using smartphones. She would always refuse even though I volunteered to teach her about this necessary evil. I managed to introduce her to the YouTube app, but she would hesitate thinking the skill is beyond her reach –“Kya hi karenge didi, yeh mobile-shobile humare samajh ke bahar hai! Sirf humare pati istemaal karna jaante hain. (What use is this movie phone for us, only our husbands use this phone)
Cut to eight months of lockdown where I barely communicated with her. Once she rejoined work, I asked how she managed her time off. Immediately, she opened my smartphone (without my guidance) and showed me a video on a YouTube channel. It was a cooking tutorial with over 100 views and growing subscribers.
I was impressed by her efforts, not only in creating something new out of her passion for cooking but also overcoming her hesitation to learn a new skill. She immediately replied, “Pehle toh darr laga, lekin ab mere kaafi students hai jo mujhse seekhna pasand karte hain. Bahut hi achi feeling aati hai, didi.”
I wondered how something as routine as Instagram scrolling for me did wonders for a family. But moreover, I questioned why a woman waited this long to learn the tool she had access to for years!
It’s a similar feeling I encountered with a non-profit organization – a small team that promotes the message of peer learning among students. Like many organizations affected by the pandemic, the team had the challenge to allow student-leaders to introduce an online mode of teaching children younger than them. While in offline mode, these student-leaders could reach out to underprivileged kids without technical barriers, the same strategy was improvised by using WhatsApp to coordinate study groups. Not only the children took an active interest in their tasks, but they were also able to document and share their achievements with others members of the family.
I was impressed by how the organization encouraged students to teach at a young age, and they did so perfectly. But it also made me question why we never take such simple initiatives with our children despite access to the internet. With the growth in free online learning courses, people have more opportunities to upskill.
Unlike our education system, these free courses can be accessed by every individual irrespective of gender, economic status, or religious background.
While our world is heading toward the AI revolution, education has become an important shield against fluctuating trends.
People can access diverse content, communicate with people of their likes and reach out to a wider audience from the comfort of their homes. They can learn economics, general knowledge, grammar, stock trading, coding, and many in-demand skills without worrying about the fees of coaching institutes. Moreover, these milestones are achieved without relying on parents or teachers, thus, giving a sense of self-reliance to the children. For instance, if a child wishes to perform at a singing event but could not garner the support of his parents, he can always upload an Instagram reel that could give him wider recognition for his talent, and perhaps a shoutout from people in the industry.
While the dangers of this online space are inevitable, considering online bullying, the dark web, adult pornography, or phishing attempts, careful access to the internet can be a boon for families, especially those who are deprived of basic needs.
It pervades the world’s remote corners, allowing people to introduce themselves and their lifestyle while assuring more such places could be discovered. A tribe you may not be aware of can be learned about through a documentary, the benefits of a powerful natural plant can be shared by a researcher across social platforms, or perhaps, simple life-hack videos can help children learn a great deal about time management and creative solutions. Likewise, access to video calls can help connect distant families or even facilitate timely consultations between doctors and their patients.
But what about selective access to this wonderful medium?
Why a certain gender is allowed to use more internet, or why a certain caste is deprived of education? Are people more scared of the awareness or domination by a specific category of people? How can we tackle these gaps considering the financial divide? The Internet does not discriminate, people do!
It is necessary that people understand how not to fear this much-needed tool, and for that, education is the key to sifting through the safer ways to combat digital oppression.
Cyber security lessons, knowledge about safety rules, and authentic access to security authorities should become a part of the school curriculum to safeguard students from the dangers of the internet.
Online forums and government sites can be useful tools for grievance redressal. At the same time, communication platforms like Meta social groups and YouTube can allow like-minded people to identify common challenges they face and work collectively towards solving them.
We don’t take seconds before calling out a celebrity’s fashion trend or sharing unverified WhatsApp forwards, but how often do we make the effort to share meaningful learning content with our frequent contacts?
In our individual capacity, we all can take time to teach the basics of the internet – for example, we can teach our house help about UPI payments, or help our grandparents with smartphones, so they do not hesitate before booking a cab, learning a new skill or calling their loved ones. Online video explainers are a wonderful tool to target such learning gaps.
Interactive videos or mainstream cinema can be a good medium to highlight social gaps. CodeGirl, a documentary film, is one such example that addresses the gender divide, with women taking the lead in the creation of a mobile app to solve their community’s problems. Bollywood movie Secret Superstar (2017), starring Zaira Wasim is another example of how children can use online media to showcase their talent.
Humans might’ve aced the internet game and are even advancing with AI to take over our lives, but it is in our hands to make the choice of how much this technology can rule over us. Just like we are conscious about our diets, we must be mindful of our internet consumption, but that does not mean one should exercise control over the choices of a certain section of society. Should we also witness an act of discrimination, we must not be silent, instead use our social channels to call out the perpetrators of such oppression and help in the seamless distribution of the service.
#Contest: Digital Access