Purpose of This Guide
This guide helps teens develop strong digital literacy skills like how to evaluate online content, decode messages and video, stay safe online, understand privacy issues, and use digital tools for school work, hobbies or future jobs. Resources here are hand selected especially for teens and the librarians who serve them. They range from tutorials, videos, articles, lessons plans and research papers.
Welcome to Digital Literacy for Teens: Closing the Digital Divide!
This guide was designed to help teens develop the crucial digital skills required for school, their future career, and life more generally. Whether you're getting started with knowing how to search for vetted websites, take advantage of online tools and understand privacy or are interested in using technology creatively, this guide will point you towards dependable, teen friendly resources that will allow you to learn independently and confidently.
Being digitally literate is about more than just knowing how to tinker with a device, it’s about understanding how information is created and shared online. It’s really hard for a lot of teenagers to get the resources they need to build those skills, if only for reasons completely out of their control, such as no access to devices or spotty internet connections or lack of guidance. This guide pulls trusted tutorials, articles, videos and interactive tools to motivate teens at all levels, whether you are new to coding or ready to level up digital skills with more advanced projects.
You’ll also find step-by-step search suggestions, recommended databases, strategies for staying safe online and some great websites created just for teens. Every resource is selected to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and the use of technology.
This guide is for independent study, classroom use, or provided by a librarian. Begin exploring and developing the digital skills you need for your future!