Citizenship and Virtual Worlds
Fiche de révision anglais Terminale sur citoyenneté et mondes virtuels : activisme en ligne, démocratie numérique, fake news et identité digitale.
Programme officiel
Axe 4 — Ce thème interroge la manière dont le numérique transforme la citoyenneté et la démocratie.
Cours complet
I. Digital Activism and E-Democracy
The internet has transformed civic engagement. The Arab Spring (2011) showed how social media could organise protests. Online petitions (Change.org), crowdfunding, and citizen journalism empower ordinary people. E-democracy experiments like Estonia's e-voting system show new possibilities. However, slacktivism raises questions about the depth of digital engagement.
II. Fake News, Disinformation and Post-Truth
The term post-truth was Oxford Dictionary's word of the year in 2016. Fake news spreads 6 times faster than real news on social media (MIT study). Deepfakes are increasingly indistinguishable from reality. The challenge: how to combat disinformation without restricting free speech? Fact-checking organisations and media literacy education are key responses.
III. The Digital Divide and Inequality
Not everyone has equal access to digital citizenship. The digital divide exists between: rich and poor countries, urban and rural areas, generations. During COVID-19, remote learning highlighted these inequalities. Access to technology is increasingly a prerequisite for full participation in modern democracy.
IV. AI, Ethics and Digital Rights
Artificial intelligence raises unprecedented questions about digital citizenship. Algorithmic bias can perpetuate discrimination. The EU's AI Act vs. the US market-driven approach represent different regulatory philosophies. Digital rights as human rights: access to internet, data protection, right to disconnect.
Key Vocabulary
Méthode bac
Ce thème est idéal pour l'expression écrite car il offre de nombreux exemples concrets et récents. Structurez votre essai avec des exemples précis et des données chiffrées.
Sujets type bac
The internet has made us more connected but less informed. Discuss.
Should voting be done online? Discuss advantages and risks.
Exercices d'entraînement
Q1 : Is social media a tool for democracy or a threat to it?
Answer: Tool for democracy: gives voice to marginalised people, enables collective action (#MeToo, Arab Spring). Threat: spreads disinformation, creates echo chambers and polarisation. Conclusion: social media is a tool — its impact depends on how it is used, regulated, and understood.
Q2 : What is the digital divide and why does it matter?
Answer: The digital divide is the gap between those with access to technology and those without. It matters because modern citizenship requires digital access: online government services, digital education, telehealth. Those excluded from the digital world are also excluded from full civic participation.
Q3 : Should AI be regulated? Compare approaches.
Answer: The EU approach (AI Act): strict regulation classifying AI by risk level. The US approach: lighter regulation emphasising innovation. China uses AI extensively for surveillance. The ideal balance: regulation that prevents harm while allowing innovation.
Q4 : Explain the concept of post-truth.
Answer: Post-truth describes a situation where objective facts matter less than emotional appeals in shaping public opinion. Examples: Brexit campaign claims, anti-vaccination movements, climate change denial. Social media algorithms amplify post-truth by showing content that confirms existing beliefs.
Q5 : Is hacktivism the civil disobedience of the digital age?
Answer: Like civil disobedience, hacktivism breaks laws for a perceived greater good. Anonymous attacking government websites, WikiLeaks publishing classified documents. But it raises ethical questions: who decides what is right? It represents a new form of political engagement but lacks transparency.
À retenir pour le bac
- •Digital citizenship — notion clé à maîtriser pour cet axe.
- •Hacktivism — notion clé à maîtriser pour cet axe.
- •Fake news — notion clé à maîtriser pour cet axe.
- •E-democracy — notion clé à maîtriser pour cet axe.
- •Digital divide — notion clé à maîtriser pour cet axe.
Autres fiches d'anglais Terminale
Fiche complète sur le thème Identités et échanges en anglais Terminale : mondialisation, multiculturalisme, migrations et identité culturelle dans le monde anglophone.
Private and Public SpheresFiche de révision anglais Terminale sur l'espace privé et l'espace public : surveillance, réseaux sociaux, vie privée et libertés individuelles dans les pays anglophones.
Art and PowerFiche anglais Terminale sur Art et pouvoir : comment l'art conteste, soutient ou subvertit le pouvoir politique dans le monde anglophone — street art, musique, littérature engagée.
Citizenship and Virtual WorldsFiche de révision anglais Terminale sur citoyenneté et mondes virtuels : activisme en ligne, démocratie numérique, fake news, intelligence artificielle et identité digitale.
Fictions and RealitiesFiche anglais Terminale sur Fictions et réalités : littérature dystopique, cinéma, séries TV, réalité virtuelle et frontière entre fiction et vérité dans le monde anglophone.
