communicationtechnologiesandthenew information

Communication technologies and the new information

communicationtechnologiesandthenew information

Communication technologies (ICTs) are tools and programs that address those, manage, transmit and share information through technological supports. ICTs have revolutionized today's world since the 1980s, and are present in most homes and schools. Currently, its use is very widespread and the information included will last forever (both personal, professional, photos, videos ...), which is called the fingerprint or digital identity.

The onset is around 2nd-3 rd year of age- the so-called digital natives - and their use is increasing with age. According to data from the INE, 2013, 84% of minors use the internet at home, more than 41% of children have their mobile phone at 11 years old, at 13 years old 75% and 15 years old 90%. The systems most used by adolescents are smartphones and tablets. Digital immigrants are those who have had no contact with ICTs from birth and have come to have some sort of relationship with them according to their needs or concerns.

Children start in ICT at a very early age, when they have not yet developed the ability to understand terms such as respect for oneself or others, the importance of privacy, sensitive information that should not be disclosed, intellectual property, or information not appropriate to their age, etc. Adolescence is also a very problematic and high-risk period; Most of their health problems are due to their behaviors and habits, with potentially serious consequences for their current and future life: accidents, violence, drug use, risky sexual behaviors, and inappropriate use of new ICTs, among others. At this time, the feeling of false invulnerability is typical, the need for intimacy and experimentation, action predominates over reflection, does not worry about future consequences, they reject the norms of adults and, in the search for their independence, they think that they can solve their problems without the help of adults; therefore, it is a particularly vulnerable group. The WHO estimates that 70% of premature deaths in adults are due to behaviors that began in adolescence. Keep in mind that most of these behaviors are preventable.

The use of ICTs has many benefits: educational, they allow obtaining and sharing information in different formats, work tools, collaborating with groups, entertainment, etc., but it also carries many risks. On the other hand, adults are unaware of the technical aspects and underestimate the possible risks.

Children and adolescents know how to use it, but they do not know how to do it responsibly, nor are they aware of the multiple threats that threaten them: inappropriate information with violent content, pornography, loss of privacy, identity theft, cyberbullying (harassment among minors through technological means), grooming (digital harassment of an adult to a minor for sexual purposes), sexting(dissemination of images or videos of a sexual nature produced by the sender himself, mainly via mobile phone) and addiction to screens, among others. The consequences range from impaired performance, learning and school failure, distancing from their environment (family, friends), psychosomatic problems, sleep, emotional and psychiatric disorders to even suicide. Given the seriousness of these conditions, a coordinated multi and interdisciplinary treatment are required for their approach in the different areas: family, school, social, police, and judicial.

We are the first generation in history in which, massively, the transfer of communication technological knowledge is carried out from children to parents, and not the other way around. It is necessary that all adults: parents, teachers, and health professionals are trained to help the child and adolescent population in the prevention, early identification, and adequate treatment of the problems associated with it. The pediatrician is the gateway to the health system and is the first professional who is consulted for all kinds of organic, psychological, and social problems, and must be prepared to help not only the victims but also the aggressors and the victims. observers.

cyberbullying shares many characteristics with traditional “face-to-face” bullying, although due to the environment in which it takes place, it presents differential aspects, such as the feeling of feeling invincible, being able to hide one's identity, giving it power over the victim; a feeling of distance, making empathy difficult and facilitating disinhibition; the immediacy of communication, which encourages impulsive behavior. Permanent connectivity means that the potential for aggression or victimization is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and also a virality and damage that is increasing with large audiences; all of this causes a greater impact on the victim, accentuating their suffering,

Given the suspicion of harassment, the pediatrician should conduct an interview alone with the patient, transmitting confidence and support, which in the case of adolescents must take into account confidentiality. You must assess the seriousness of the situation and the patient's involvement, the possible referral to mental health, and initiate the appropriate measures (school, health system) to stop the harassment. You should also assess the complaint (only as a last resort, as there is usually no legal impact and, in the long term, it could harm the victim) (1). Finally, it must prevent the victim from suffering a new cyberbullying, educating the minor and the parents in the correct use of it.

Faced with a grooming situation, after carrying out history and detailed examination, a copy of the care report will be delivered to the patient, the Injury Report will be issued, with a copy for the Medical Record, the Prosecutor's Office for Minors and State Security Forces and Bodies. Likewise, a referral sheet will be made to the Mental Health Center, Child Sexual Abuse Intervention Center (CIASI) or other referral service deemed appropriate. Given the seriousness of the crime, an immediate complaint must be made and the harasser must be prevented from having contact with the victim (1). Also, a follow-up and accompaniment of the victim will be carried out.

After stopping cyberbullying, the victim must learn to regain his self-esteem and trust in interpersonal relationships to restructure his life; This process will be done slowly with the help of a multidisciplinary team (psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, family, school) and may require psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs depending on the patient's situation.

Since cyberbullying is such a recent problem and due to its peculiarities, most health professionals have not received specific training; For this reason, it is necessary that they increase their knowledge to assess the positive and negative aspects of ICTs, the use that minors make of them, detect the damages that they can cause and prevent their risks. Likewise, it is necessary to train parents and teachers. The American Academy of Pediatrics already in 2013 gave a series of recommendations in this regard (2).

Within primary prevention, health professionals will direct their actions towards children and adolescents, their families, and the school. Periodic health checks will be used and, also, opportunistically to carry out health education giving guidelines on the gradual and responsible incorporation of ICTs, appropriate ages, and norms of use with parental supervision. Parents should set reasonable but firm rules. Also very important is secondary prevention (early detection) and tertiary (intervention).

Recently, the first Clinical Guide on Cyberbullying has been presented, which collects the latest scientific knowledge and advances in a clear, practical, and updated way. Its main objective is to provide healthcare professionals with all the necessary information from a multi and interdisciplinary point of view, based on current evidence, and to guarantee the quality of care for this population. It also includes, in the annexes, tools for consultation with information for parents, minors, and schools, Internet resources, and the current situation of related legislation. 

The importance of information and communication technologies in the educational field is also evident in the development of new instructional resources, such as interactive whiteboards, laptops, modern projectors, as well as software and applications for implementing teaching and learning strategies. Thus, the use of ICT is considered an important resource for the mediation of the educational fact and the comprehensive training of students. Likewise, the use of strategies and educational resources related to them offer different advantages: They encourage the student's interest in learning, favoring their self-regulation and autonomy processes.

They contribute to the development of digital literacy, because both teachers and students develop digital skills, while the contents of the curricular units are measured, which allows reducing the digital divide.

They favor teamwork management, meaningful learning, and problem-solving. They stimulate the development of lateral thinking through the use of new technologies.Added to this is the fact that its use stimulates the creativity of teachers and optimizes the administration of the time dedicated to planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning. Likewise, it facilitates study by students, who have more complete information bases, such as virtual libraries.

The importance of information and communication technologies in Education is so evident that the "Use of ICT" is included in the study plans of this career as a compulsory subject. This content is also integrated into continuing education programs for educators. For this reason, prestigious educational institutions such as Euroinnova, the Business School specialized in online training, have developed excellent training initiatives in this area, specially designed for teachers.

Among these experiences, the following stand out:

European Master in Digital Competences in Education, aimed at teachers, in which theoretical knowledge and strategies are taught that promote the development of their professional skills, which are necessary to handle the tools related to ICT in the educational process. This master has a duration of 660 academic hours equivalent to 24 ECTS. Likewise, this course is approved and scalable in job boards and competitions of the public administrations.

ICT Specialist Course in Inclusive Education, which consists of 200 academic hours and allows the educator to know the processes and impacts that ICT has on the training of students with special educational needs.

Visit the institutional portal and find out about these and other courses related to the importance of information and communication technologies in Education.