Educators Seek to Empower Youth Through Digital Citizenship, Building on Existing Online Habits
PARIS – As France’s “Semaines de la citoyenneté numérique” (Digital Citizenship Weeks) gain momentum, a new podcast episode of Extra classe from Réseau Canopé explores a shift in approach to educating young people about responsible online behavior – moving away from restriction and toward leveraging their existing digital skills and practices. The conversation, featuring experts in education, sociology, and digital literacy, highlights the need to understand how adolescents are using technology, rather than simply telling them not to use it in certain ways.
This evolving strategy arrives at a critical juncture. Concerns surrounding online safety, misinformation, and the impact of social media on mental health are escalating, particularly among young people.Jocelyn Lachance, a researcher at the Institut du travail social Pierre-Bourdieu, is publishing Grandir inquiet à l’ère des réseaux sociaux (Growing up anxious in the age of social networks) in 2025, underscoring the anxieties shaping youth experiences online. The podcast argues that effective digital citizenship education must acknowledge thes realities and empower students to navigate them, rather than ignoring or dismissing their digital lives.
The Extra classe episode, released this month, features Axelle Desaint, director of Internet Sans Crainte, a national program for digital education for youth and families; Lachance; Nicolas Bourgeon, a teacher in rural Aveyron; and Mélina Solari-Landa, a researcher at the university of Poitiers and with Réseau Canopé. Discussions center on the importance of shifting from a preventative stance to one of accompaniment, building on the digital competencies young people already possess.
Desaint’s program, internet Sans Crainte, exemplifies this approach, aiming to equip both students and their families with the tools to engage safely and critically with the digital world. Bourgeon, teaching in rural schools, emphasizes the need to recognize the diverse ways students utilize technology and tailor educational strategies accordingly.
Solari-Landa’s research, conducted through the Techné laboratory, further informs the conversation, advocating for a proactive approach to digital citizenship that fosters agency and empowers young people to become active, informed participants in the online sphere. The podcast episode builds on previous Extra classe content, including episode #60, “Comprendre les pratiques numériques des adolescents” (Understanding the digital practices of adolescents).
Listeners can find more details about the Semaines de la citoyenneté numérique at CanoTech: https://www.canotech.fr/evenement/les-semaines-de-la-citoyennete-numerique. Extra classe is available on all major podcast platforms: https://smartlink.ausha.co/extra-classe. The podcast is produced by Réseau Canopé, with Hélène Audard and Régis Forgione as hosts and Simon Gattegno handling realization and mixing. Contact information is available at contact@reseau-canope.fr.
