Glossary of terms

• Author: European Institute for Gender Equality (EU body or agency)
• Pages: 7-8

Glossary of terms

7

Gender equality and youth: opportunities and risks of digitalisation

Glossary of terms

Cyber-harassment

Harassment by means of email, text messages or

the internet. Cyber-harassment is a form of gen-

der-based violence that can take many forms.

Unwanted sexually explicit emails, text (or on-

line) messages.

Inappropriate or offensive advances on social

networking websites or internet chat rooms.

Threats of physical and/or sexual violence by

email, text (or online) messages.

Hate speech, meaning language that den-

igrates, insults, threatens or targets an in-

dividual based on her identity (gender) and

other traits (such as sexual orientation or dis-

ability) (EIGE, 2017a).

Cyber hygiene

This refers to actions taken by users of ditigal

technlogies to ensure their safety online. The

European Union Agency for Network and Infor-

mation Security (ENISA) defines cyber hygiene as

a set of simple daily routines, good behaviours

and occasional check-ups to make sure the or-

ganisations online health is in optimum condi-

tion (ENISA, 2016).

Digital literacy

The set of cognitive skills applied when using

digital en vironements (Eshet-Alkalai, 2004). The

term digital literacy is often used interchangea-

bly with the term digital skills.

Digital skills

The definition of digital skills has evol ved along with

technological development. The United Nations Ed-

ucational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Un-

esco) offers the following b road definition: more

than merely knowing how to use ICT [information

and communication technology] () to obtain, pro-

duce and share information, digital skills also en-

compass the ability to seek, process and evaluate

information critically, to exploit it in solving complex

problems and to use precise techniques to produce

or access internet content (Fau & Moreau, 2018).

The Broadband Commission adds that digital skills

include a wide range of competencies, aptitudes

and behaviours (Broadband Commission, 2017).

Digital skills are measured in four specific domains

namely, information skills, communication skills,

problem-solving skills and sof tware skills. A full

description of how digital skills are currently meas-

ured is set out in Annex II: Proposed list of BPfA

indicators, see especially Table 2.

Digital technology

Digital technology can be dif ficult to define, as it

refers broadly to all types of elec tronic equipment

and applications that use digit al information, in-

cluding ICT, such as computer and net work hard-

ware or software. Digital technology also refers

to smartphones, television sets, calculators, com-

pact disc players, and even global positioning

systems (Warschauer & Matuchniak, 2010).

Gendertrolling

Anonymous sexist hate speech is often called

gendertrolling, malicious acts online involv-