Research Focus and Rationale
The research focuses on delivering the concept of digital footprint to children via video and its importance. Digital technologies are becoming a component of social life, notably professional life, as they incorporate image labor and visualization practices (Ball & Smith, 2020). Video recordings are both detailed and adaptable in terms of analysis, allowing for multiple viewings or slow-motion examination (OECD, 2020). The selected video delivers to children how they might leave their footprints by using the Internet. The visual content concerns children that posting private information is dangerous. My research question is: How digital footprint concept is delivered to children via video? This study emphasizes the relevance of using video to convey the concept of digital footprint to children effectively.
Theoretical frame
The main theoretical frame of my research will be visualization and materialization in visual research methods. Video is another visualization technique, and it conducts the materialization of the information and concepts. According to Mannay (2020), video allows viewers to interpret the data. Moreover, Mannay (2020) points out that visual content evokes emotions, feelings, and memories. Such a concept allows for complex discussions to be presented in a way that such vulnerable populations as kids will understand, comprehend, and learn from the presented material. Furthermore, the seemingly complex topic of digital footprint and how it can affect one’s safety and well-being can be shared in a child-friendly way through video content.
Methodology
Data collection
My objective was to find a video that is designed to teach children about digital footprint and its consequences if used for the wrong reasons. Digital storytelling creates a possibility to provide the audience with information and create a community environment and engage the community (Flicker & MacEntee, 2020). I decided to use the public platform YouTube to search for relevant visual content regarding this topic. I have searched by using keywords “digital footprints” and “social media for children”. Since the research question is focused on kids, my objective was to find a video that targets children as an audience. Moreover, having a young audience means a shorter duration due to the shorter attention span, which is why the film is 3 minutes long. According to researchers, aesthetic appearance and good sound make a video more appealing for viewers (Goldman et al., 2007). The choice was the content with the most attractive visual effects and animation.
Once the video was selected, I have watched it several times and took notes on how the information was being delivered. Moreover, I focused on all the key concepts highlighted by the narrator, the images presented, and the analogies used by the creators (comparing digital footprints with regular ones, using dialogues rather than direct statements directed towards the viewers, etc.). Such observations have allowed me to examine the topic of using video to teach children about digital footprint from a more in-depth perspective.
Data production
The video serves as an alternative way of delivering information and stands for a pleasurable, creative, and innovative approach in a pedagogical system (Thomson & Hall, 2016). The selected video uses visualization and materialization of the information, which makes it helpful to investigate how these two processes work in transmitting information to the audience. According to the text below the video (Figure 1), it serves as a part of the Digital Citizenship Campaign and the 12 Days of Digital Citizenship at Anna ISD. The information below the video indicates that the video aims to explain to children their digital footprint offline and online (from Common Sense Media). Thus, the target audience of the video is children and particularly children who use the Internet.
The interest of the system is to protect children from undesirable consequences. In history, there have been cases of abduction, psychological violence, and threats against children due to their disclosure of their personal information. In terms of policies, researchers point out that children are vulnerable individuals, which is why there are additional regulations when it comes to recording them (Goldman et al., 2007). This includes consent from teachers/parents/guardians and the kids themselves. The state’s internal policy is also interested in protecting its citizens and protecting children from dangerous individuals. Parents might support the distribution of such content because they are also aware of the importance of online security for their children.
Trustworthiness
Since the video was commissioned by educational institutions and serves as a digital safety promotion for children, this source is trustworthy and unique. The speech in the video is noticeably addressed to the children’s audience, which creates a more favorable environment for learning (Thomson & Hall, 2016). The video uses animated characters and other various elements of information visualization. According to Tracy (2010), some criteria for the source’s credibility are using tacit information, which means that there is more of demonstration than telling and the application of multivocality. The concept that the video is trying to provide is not that easy to understand; thus, it will be interesting to analyze which techniques it used to convey the information understandably.
Ethics
The chosen video is from the official YouTube channel for the Anna Independent School District Instructional Technology Department. To use it, I would ask for the permission of the YouTube channel holder, the Anna Independent School District Instructional Technology Department. The legal and ethical guidelines reflecting the use and attribution of the video should be followed in order to use the video data (Pea & Lemke, 2007). The video does not contain any explicit or harmful content, and there are no participants on it; thus, no other permissions are required. The video promotes the importance of being careful when leaving digital footprints online. It carries an educational character and helps many children to know more about using the Internet properly.
References
Ball, M. & Smith, G. 2020. Pauwels, L. & Mannay D. (eds.). Ethnomethodology and the Visual Practices of Looking, Visualization, and Embodied Action.
Goldman, R., Erickso, F., Lemke, J., Derry S. J. (2007). Selection in Video. Data Research and Development Center. Web.
Mannay, D. (2020). Pauwels, L. & Mannay D. (eds.). Revisualizing data: Engagement, impact and multimodal dissemination.The Sage Handbook of Visual Research Methods 2nd edn (659–669). Sage.
OECD. (2020). Global Teaching InSights: A Video Study of Teaching. OECD Publishing, Paris.
Pea, R. & Lemke, J. (2007). Sharing and Reporting Video Work. Data Research and Development Center. Web.
Sherin, M. G. & Sherin, B. L. (2007). Research on How People Learn With and From Video. Data Research and Development Center. Web.
Thomson, P & Hall, C.. (2016). Using film to show and tell: Studying/changing pedagogical practices.
Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative Quality: Eight ”Big-Tent” Criteria for Excellent Qualitative Research. Sage.
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