Can the value of dignity drive our digital habits?

Facilitator reads the following and prompts the group: 

• There are times when we have all shared particular content and behave in certain ways online knowing full well that it will be unflattering or embarrassing – to ourselves or to others. Why do we still share it? (Open for responses.)

Facilitator prompts the group: 

• Have you ever shared something online and then immediately deleted it? What prompted you to take it back?
• When have you felt that your own human dignity has been diminished by online interactions and content? If you feel comfortable doing so, explain the details of the situation.

Conclude this Section:

In the modern world, technological devices are in many ways extensions of ourselves. If we know that sharing particular content or behaving in certain ways online diminishes one’s dignity why do we still do it? What compels us?

The question for us to explore is how can increased awareness of one’s human dignity drive our technological behaviors and choices?

Read for context: 

The Hebrew language is layered with meaning and allusions, and as such the concept of human dignity can be appreciated through the lens of how we refer to it in Hebrew.

Share the following about the Hebrew words for “human dignity:”

The word in Hebrew for honor, kavod, is related to the word for weight and heaviness (heavy = kaveid in modern Hebrew).

The value and concept of kavod habriyot then, is related to giving weight to the presence of another human being.

Reflect in pairs ask:

•  What does it mean to give ourselves and others the “weight” we deserve?
•  How can we give people dignity and “weight” even when we only see them through a screen?

Conclude this section by leading into the values exploration and posing the question:

Let’s explore a little more deeply the value of human dignity using the idea of “weighty” or “worthy” as a guide.

How might we be able to do, say and share the things we really want to do online and still hold the value of human dignity front and center?

In this activity you will have the opportunity to take a few minutes and assess some trends in the usage of your digital devices and how they do/do not reflect your own sense of holding human dignity as a value.

• Take out your phones and choose one platform to scroll through. Find at least two posts — they can have been posted by anyone — that, in your view, honor or enhance the dignity of the person posting or the person featured. These might be posts that show kindness, vulnerability, courage, or thoughtful disagreement.
• Turn to the person sitting next to you and share why you selected those posts. What made them feel “weighty” or respectful? Each partner should share.
• Now, together as a pair, try to name what the person posting might have gained by sharing something that uplifts or treats others with dignity. What impact might that kind of post have on others who see it?
• Now, put your phones away, and turn this reflection toward yourself. Think of a time when you posted, commented, or shared something that reflected your own sense of human dignity or that of someone else. What motivated you to do it? How did it feel to contribute something positive to the digital space?

Conclude:

Given the speed with which we interact with our devices, we are not always afforded the time to sit back, take stock and assess what we write, the ways we present ourselves, and how we interact with others. Human dignity may be the furthest thing from our minds as we try to look good, defend our beliefs, show support for friends, and share ideas widely. As we become more aware of our digital behaviors, we can also remind ourselves to consider whether our actions reflect the dignity we wish to assign to ourselves and others.

Use the prompts below for an opportunity to think about human dignity as it relates to the choices we make online.

• Click here to read a letter called “Before you press send.”
• After reading the letter, think about a time when you or someone else added to the dignity of an online space, maybe by showing kindness, speaking thoughtfully, or lifting someone up. What impact did it have on you or others? Feel free to write about it, or share it in another way.
• Now, write a version of the letter above — you can write it to your future self as a reminder of how you want to engage online, or to someone who has modeled digital dignity for you. You can use https://www.futureme.org/ and schedule a time in the future to re-read and reflect on how you’ve grown.

In the exploration we have just experienced, we took a contemporary issue, our digital engagement with the world, and looked at it through the lens of human dignity. Doing so helps us notice not only what can go wrong online, but also what is possible when we act with intention. Today’s conversation offered a chance to see how dignity can be expressed in the digital spaces we are part of, through kindness, honesty, restraint, curiosity, and care. When we give weight to our own presence and to the presence of others, we make online spaces more human.

Go around the room and ask everyone who wants to share a reaction to one of the following prompts:

• As a result of this session, I now think differently about ...
• To sensitize myself to the value of human dignity even while engaging with others from behind a screen, I will now …