Digital Commerce

By the time students make it to high school, most are familiar with online purchases of some sort.  This can include, but is certainly not limited to, online purchases of music, videos, and apps as well as purchases of goods (ie. electronics or clothing) and/or services (college and testing registration and fee payment).    In my library I see students register online for standardized tests and colleges/universities.  I see students on phones and tablets loaded with music and apps.    By high school, students typically have a grasp of money, and the types of transactions they make often differ from when they were younger.  The lessons that students learn need to vary by age.

We must acknowledge that younger students have purchasing power.  A Wall Street Journal article several years ago looked at the influence young children have when it comes to purchasing apps and for-pay phones and tablets.  Of course, children seldom have a good grasp of concepts like money and budgets. 

Older students need to learn about secure servers and password protection as well as privacy of information in general.   Additionally, a little lesson in budget management and credit cards would also be beneficial.  Purchasing with gift cards – a fixed amount – is a good way to teach students to budget. 

Students of all ages need to be aware of scams and phishing.  Bright flashing banners announcing prizes can easily entice students (and some adults) to provide information they normally would not.  For older students, providing information for researching stories and offers as well as credibility of sites is also helpful.   

We can always learn lessons about digital commerce, regardless of age.  We ought not assume students learn financial responsibility and protection at home.  Our lessons can help students and their families and open healthy dialogues about this topic.