Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1505559
Digital Skills There is still a significant gap in digital skills among Indigenous communities. An RBC study in July 2021 found that, although Indigenous youth use digital technologies frequently, they are less confident in their digital literacy skills than non-Indigenous youth, with a 13-percentage point difference. 10 While there is a dearth in the literature examining the digital skills gap for Indigenous students in Canada, youth in general experience higher levels of online harmful behaviour, which is likely to also impact Indigenous students without digital experience or devices. According to the latest CIUS, Canadians aged 15 to 24 report the highest rates of incidents experienced on the internet in 2020 (8%) compared to all other age groups, including bullying, harassment, and discrimination (7%) as well as the misuse of personal pictures, videos or other content (2%). 11 During focus groups with young people in Halifax, Toronto, and Ottawa, MediaSmarts found that although youth say they use their computers and devices to connect with their peers and complete their schoolwork, they highlighted many challenges navigating online spaces such as the amount of inaccurate information online eroding their ability to use technology to learn, excessive technology monitoring in the classroom, and parental control diminishing their ability to use technology for creative self-expression and community engagement. 12 While the risks and concerns of online harm for youth is prevalent in Canada, more than 20% of 15-year-old students in Canada report not having been taught various digital literacy and well-being skills, such as how to detect phishing or spam emails, use keywords when using a search engine and how to evaluate trustworthiness of online information. 13 Although the pandemic afforded individuals the opportunity to engage in online learning to improve digital literacy and skills, the inability to access the internet or online services rendered much of this online training inaccessible to those impacted by the digital divide and who lacked the ability to connect online, including Indigenous students — the very people most likely to need digital skills training. Impact on Learning, Access to Services and Social Connections This lack of access to internet connectivity, devices and skills has had a pronounced impact on Indigenous peoples' ability to learn, access services and maintain social connections during the pandemic, as many key services shifted online. According to the CIUS, 12% of Indigenous peoples did not use the internet, compared to only 8% overall. 14 Of those who identified as First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit), 32% said they did not use online services, compared to 26% overall. 15 A survey by the Diversity Institute found that over half (52%) of those with children at home who identified as Indigenous said it was very or somewhat likely that not having access to a computer at home impacted childrens' ability to complete schoolwork during the pandemic. 16 Among those with children learning online, about three in ten said that it was likely that their children: would have to use public Wi-Fi to complete schoolwork due to a lack of reliable internet connection at home; would not be able to complete schoolwork because they did not have a computer at home; and would have to do schoolwork on a smartphone. 17 Indigenous peoples were also finding it more difficult to access essential government services and maintain social connections. Of those who identified as First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit) in the CIUS, 32% said they did not use online government services, compared to 26% overall. 18 Impact of Connected North's Digital Inclusion Grant on IndigenousStudents' Learning, Social Connection and Community Involvement 9