Digital Literacy

Lessons

Digital Mindset, Device Hygiene & Wellbeing

Lesson

Why This Lesson Matters

Your phone or laptop is your library, classroom, camera, and bank. When it is tidy and secure, everything else in this module becomes easier: your files sync cleanly, PDFs export without drama, and online forms don’t crash because storage is full. When it’s messy, you waste time hunting for downloads, fighting pop-ups, and charging at odd hours because invisible apps keep eating battery and data. A calm device gives you a calm mind.

In Sri Lanka, power cuts, shared computers, and limited data are real. This lesson gives you a simple system to keep your device fast, your work safe, and your attention steady—so the rest of the module feels light instead of heavy.

“A tidy device is a quiet teacher.”

Step 1: Secure the Basics (5 minutes that protect everything)

Start by locking the front door. A strong screen lock stops casual snooping; “Find My Device” helps if your phone is lost; automatic updates fix bugs while you sleep. Think of these as seatbelts—you hope you never need them, but you’re grateful when you do.

Set a PIN/biometric lock that you can remember under stress. Shortcuts are tempting, but a solid lock protects your photos, schoolwork, and accounts. Turn on auto-updates for the system and apps, so security fixes arrive without your attention. Finally, enable Find My Device and confirm it can see your phone’s location; if the device goes missing, you’ll be able to locate, lock, or erase it.

Keep this mindset: you are building dignity and control, not paranoia. A few quiet choices now remove most daily worry later.

Step 2: Clean & Organise (make space, remove friction)

Clutter causes crashes. When storage is low, apps misbehave, cameras refuse to record, and documents fail to export. The fix is simple: clear the piles, then stop them from returning.

Begin with the Downloads folder. It fills faster than you think—duplicate PDFs, screenshots you no longer need, old ZIPs. Move anything important to your Idasara Digital Portfolio folders and delete the rest. Next, scan for large files and duplicates. Videos, WhatsApp forwards, and burst photos quietly eat gigabytes; keep the originals you care about and remove the rest.

Your home screen should feel like a tidy desk. Keep essential tools in the first row, study apps together, and remove distracting icons. If every swipe shows tempting games and feeds, your attention will leak. Fewer icons, fewer taps, more peace.

“Small tidiness beats big hardware.”

Step 3: Backups That Actually Work (and a restore you have tested)

If your phone broke tonight, would your work survive? A backup isn’t a wish; it is a plan. Turn on cloud backup for photos and documents under your primary account. Pick Wi-Fi only if data is limited. Check that new photos appear in your cloud within a minute or two when connected. Then perform a tiny restore drill: delete a harmless test file and bring it back from Trash/Recycle Bin. Confidence comes from practice, not hope.

Backups protect dignity in tough moments: exam notes lost to a sudden reset, a portfolio deleted at a print shop, a phone stolen on the bus. When your work is safe, your mind is free to focus.

Step 4: Attention Hygiene (focus modes, calm notifications, no-device hour)

A device is a tool, not a loud roommate. You decide when it can speak. Set up a Focus/Do-Not-Disturb profile for study blocks. Allow only critical calls or alarms; silence everything else. Move social and shopping apps off the home screen. Turn off “promotional” notifications that do not help you act today.

Add one no-device hour to your week—family time, exercise, or quiet reading. This hour is not a punishment; it is maintenance for your brain. Attention is your most valuable currency. Protect it and every lesson in this module will move faster.

Step 5: Weekly Device Care (a 15-minute ritual)

Once a week, give your device a small service. Clear Downloads, remove one unused app, update the rest, and check that backups are recent. This ritual is light enough to keep, and powerful enough to prevent most problems. Place it on your calendar on a fixed day and time so it becomes automatic.

The Golden Rule Attempt → Hint → Verify → Produce. Your device should support this loop: quiet when you attempt, connected when you seek hints, secure when you verify, and clean when you produce.

Bad vs Better (Everyday Habits)

Habit	Bad	Better
Screen lock	Swipe only	PIN/biometric + auto-lock ≤ 30s
Storage	Keep everything in Downloads	Move to Portfolio folders; delete leftovers
Updates	“Later, later, later”	Auto-updates on (system + apps)
Notifications	Everything allowed	Only calendars, banking, reminders
Backups	“I’ll do it someday”	On now + restore drill completed

Exercises: Do It Now

Exercise 1 — 15-Minute Clean (today) Open Files/Storage and clear space. Move important items into your Idasara Digital Portfolio folders; delete duplicates and old downloads. Empty the recycle bin to claim the space for real.

Exercise 2 — Secure & Save (today) Turn on PIN/biometric lock, auto-updates, and Find My Device. Enable cloud backup for photos and documents. Create one test file, confirm it appears in the cloud, delete it, and restore it.

Exercise 3 — Focus Setup (today) Create a Focus/Do-Not-Disturb profile for study. Silence non-essential apps. Add a no-device hour to your calendar this week.

Exercise 4 — Weekly Device Care (schedule) Create a recurring 15-minute calendar block (same day/time) titled Weekly Device Care. In the event description, paste a short checklist: “Clear Downloads → Remove one app → Update apps → Check backup status.”

Quick Win Clean the Downloads folder and empty the bin. Many devices recover hundreds of MBs in two minutes.

Artifact to Produce

Create a Device Health Checklist (Doc) in your Idasara Digital Portfolio / Docs. Include today’s date, the actions you completed, and the date/time of your next Weekly Device Care. Add 2–3 screenshots (blur sensitive data) showing: Find My Device enabled, auto-updates on, and backup status.

Suggested headings for the Doc:

Title (H1): Device Health Checklist — YYYY-MM-DD
Section (H2): Security (lock, Find My Device)
Section (H2): Storage & Updates (clean-up, auto-updates)
Section (H2): Backups (on/tested)
Section (H2): Focus & Wellbeing (Focus mode + no-device hour)
Section (H2): Next Review (date/time)

Export a PDF copy to your Outputs folder for easy sharing and printing.

Self-Verification (SV) Checklist

Tick these before you file your artifact.

Screen lock set (PIN/biometric) and auto-lock ≤ 30s
Auto-updates enabled for OS and apps
Find My Device on (you can see the device online)
Downloads cleared; important files moved to Portfolio
Cloud backup on for photos/docs; restore drill done
Focus/Do-Not-Disturb configured for study blocks
No-device hour placed on the calendar this week
Weekly Device Care recurring event created
Device Health Checklist saved (Doc) and exported (PDF)

Mobile Tip (Android & iOS)

Open the Files app and look for Large files and Duplicates—delete there first. In Settings → Notifications, switch most apps to Silent or Off; keep Calendar, Reminders, and Banking/Wallet on. In your cloud app, mark key study files Available offline so a power cut or weak signal doesn’t stop your work.

Stuck? Fast Fixes

“Storage still full.” Clear WhatsApp media groups; delete sent videos from Sent folders; empty the bin after deleting.
“Backup won’t start.” Connect to Wi-Fi, plug in power, open the cloud app, and leave the screen on for a few minutes.
“Find My Device can’t see my phone.” Turn on Location and Mobile data/Wi-Fi, then refresh from a computer.
“Focus mode silences everything, even alarms.” Allow Alarms and Important contacts under Focus exceptions.

Common Roadblocks (and simple fixes)

If your device feels slow, it’s usually one of three causes: storage under 10%, too many apps auto-starting, or a browser with too many tabs. Free 1–2 GB, disable background activity for non-essential apps, and close heavy tabs. If your battery drains fast, check Battery usage to find the noisy app and tame its permissions or uninstall it. If your camera says “can’t record,” that’s a storage warning in disguise—clean Downloads and try again.

When printing at a shop, always bring a PDF exported from your device. Fonts and layouts change on other computers; PDFs don’t. If you must borrow a shared PC, use a browser’s Guest/Incognito mode, sign into your cloud, download only the PDF, print, then sign out and clear downloads before you leave.

Keeping Yourself Motivated

You’ll feel the difference immediately: faster opens, fewer nags, and the quiet confidence that your work is safe. That confidence compounds across the module. Your study blocks will start on time because Focus mode holds the boundary; your portfolio will grow because backups hold the safety net; your mind will be lighter because the device no longer screams for attention. Keep a tiny “Wins” line at the top of your checklist—“Freed 1.2 GB, exported clean PDF, restored a test file.” Small wins become a habit.

Your First Step Is Complete

You’ve set a strong foundation: a secure, tidy, backed-up device that respects your attention. Save your Device Health Checklist (Doc) and PDF, and confirm your Weekly Device Care event is on the calendar. With this done, you’re ready for the rest of the module to move quickly and calmly.