Throughout the semester, I had the opportunity to put my digital knowledge skills to the test and practice learning some new ones while doing so. I didn’t realize at the start of this course how little I knew about navigating digital tools and the process of creating digital works. I thought I would have had enough experience from making iMovies and being an active user on social media every day, but I was very wrong. In every project we’ve done so far, I’ve needed guidance and instruction to complete it, so obviously I wasn’t as much of a professional as I thought I was. From trial and error on every project, I’ve learned valuable digital skills. From making podcasts to building personal domains… I can put these skills to use in the professional world and apply them in my personal life someday.

The exploration of digital studies has been informative in many aspects, it’s given me hands-on experience in creating digital content and building domains, but it’s also been a lesson in critical thinking. Learning the positives and the harms that come along with digital cultures, algorithms and online identity has been a significant takeaway for me. With our world being chronically online nowadays, we must learn to adapt to it, one way we can do this is by stopping the spread of misinformation. So much fake news circulates digital algorithms and most people don’t know what’s true or false. I think having group discussions, like the ones we had in class at our tables, helps others to critically think. Although this may not have seemed like a huge part of the course it was a big takeaway for me. I now understand that echo chambers and social media algorithms can polarize our society if we’re not careful.

This course has not only expanded my technical skills but also sharpened my awareness of the harms of living in a digital world. I feel better equipped to engage with digital cultures and content responsibly.