DIGITAL TOOLS AND SELF DETERMINATION.
Self determination in law is associated with the processes or mechanisms that support freedom or liberty. In some contexts, it is associated with the right to determine one’s own destiny. While the two aspects are true about self-determination, the subject is expanding beyond its traditional meaning. With the growing digital frontier, a new concept has emerged, it is called digital self-determination (DSD) which is the power or freedom of people and communities to decide how their data is handled in a manner that does not harm them. Operationalizing this new concept requires nuances that adds other perspectives and competencies.
Self determination is a long established legal concept that has components of autonomy, competence and relatedness at its core. It is the right and freedom of people to drive their future by the power and the ability to make decisions and act autonomously. The motivation for self-determination is explained by the psychological trinity of needs which emphasize on the ability to feel freedom (autonomy), the ability to feel capable (competence) and the ability to feel relevant (relatedness). When these three theoretical needs are met, people performance peaks. The universal nature of self determination makes it suitable and applicable in a physical or virtual social structure. For example in marriage or online communities, this trinity of needs promotes individual’s freedom to choose and associate with another in a manner that each person feels competent, autonomous and connected with others without being forced. The elements of autonomy, competence and relatedness within social structures promote connectedness, growth, capability and performance.
This same freedom which promotes peak performance is now under siege in the public digital sphere where our digital visibility, written or spoken words are weaponized by judicial systems. For instance, a digital giant platform like X (Twitter) which is considered the number one news machine across 167 countries faces critique as a “toxic” planet due to its support for “free speech” for all, to share ‘uncensored’ contents without gatekeepers. Notice the scary shift that occurs; the judiciary can now harvest your digital fire power in the form of written posts, tweets or broadcasts and use it as a tool that strips your physical liberty. In some contexts, they can press charges against a person with a digital firepower and could declare that the person’s spoken or written words on digital platforms constitute an act of murder, violence, treason or terrorism. This is an evidentiary testimony that suggest autonomous speech are being used to strip people their physical liberty and cage their physical destiny.
The Gap in Defense:
While activists and entrepreneurs leverage digital tools to promote their movements and interests, and to inspire a digitally powered support that helps build a strong base for their missions, an uncomfortable gap exists in the defense line of many communities, the presence and pace or digital tools out-runs the digital competence of teachers in many classrooms of our communities. If there is no knowledge of digital literacy, people will not know how to protect their digital self. A 2024 academic publication on Science Direct states that approximately 38% and 39% of teachers in the USA and the EU respectively, felt confident to use digital technologies in online teaching. Without digital literacy for all levels, we are raising a generation of individuals that will go into the high-stake digital world without the knowledge about “Data Stewardship” they need to prevent their identities from being harvested or weaponized.
Now that the stake for self-determination is higher, we are reminded that our digital image is as significant as our physical self. There is a war between the drive to speak from our true selves and the heavy-controlled surveillance of digital tools. In the war for self determination where our written or spoken words have become the bricks to build cages to punish our destiny, we must train as digital stewards with a full quiver of knowledge as swords. Your very screen in the battle frontline, so, be vigilant.
Written By: Byke Freeborn.
X(Twitter); @Bykefreeborn