The perils and promises of digital literacy

BY PAUL JUNOR

As our world becomes saturated with digital media, there are many questions, concerns and issues that are being raised about the impact and influence of it on the younger generation. The fact that technology is available 24/7 makes possible endless streams of images and symbols. There are many issues and areas that can be explored as one navigates the unknown terrain of digital literacy, and the space that it creates for dialogue, conversation, discussions and debates is countless. Issues related to: positive online community, digital identity, digital footprint, screen time vs. offline time, digital emotional intelligence, privacy and location tracking as well as news content sources like “fake” news can be investigated and explored.

Traditional forms of literacy will always be important and other skills can be developed and expanded. According to the Ministry of Education, literacy is defined as “the ability to use language and images in rich and varied forms to read, write, listen, view, represent and think.” In elementary school, literacy is part of Language Arts; it is also involved in other subjects as well. Literacy skills are related to oral, written, and visual communication. Other areas where literacy skills are important include: mathematical literacy (the need for clear, concise communication which often involves the use of diagrams, charts, tables and graphs), environmental literacy, scientific literacy, and linguistic literacy. Information literacy skills can be divided in to these three areas:  media literacy (understanding the many ways that information is produced), information literacy (being able to work effectively with information, and technology literacy (as we are living through a technological revolution).

Digital literacy is coined from the words, digital and literacy. According to Wikipedia, digital literacy “refers to an individual’s ability to find, evaluate and compose clear information through writing and other medium in digital form” and “it is evaluated by an individual’s grammar, composition, typing skills and ability to produce writings, images and designs using technology.” It is because of the introduction of the Internet and social media that there has been a seismic shift to mobile devices. Teenagers are often perceived as being “digital natives” because of the ease with which they are able to master and use technologies, yet there are many concerned about whether they have acquired essential digital skills such as: digital responsibility (knowing how to stay safe and act appropriately online), digital responsibility (knowing which technology tools and techniques to use and how to organize), digital information literacy (being able to find, critically evaluate and use digital information) and digital collaboration (sharing information).

Although teenagers are enmeshed in an on-demand digital culture where they are used to accessing media whenever and wherever they want, they are still not fully digitally literate. They are not fully aware of the risks, which exist online, and in using technology. Without guidance they remain amateur users of information and communications technology (ICT) (mediasmarts.ca). It cannot be assumed that teenagers have the skills, knowledge, and understanding needed in order to be literate in today’s media rich environments. Young people need to develop knowledge, values and a whole range of critical thinking, communication and information management skills for the digital age.