Complete Guide About Digital Literacy will be described in this article. After multiple high-profile global disinformation disasters, digital literacy is more crucial than ever. However, as we transition into our digital futures, what precisely is digital literacy, who possesses it (and who doesn’t), and what does it mean?
The capacity to read and write is commonly recognized as traditional literacy. This entails translating concepts into words, sounds into symbols, and symbols into sounds, as well as doing the entire process the opposite way around. This is a really simple technique when it comes to words on a page. But there’s more to digital literacy than meets the eye.
Complete Guide About Digital Literacy In 2023
In this article, you can know about Complete Guide About Digital Literacy here are the details below;
Digital literacy includes more than just online reading and writing, according to the American Library Association, which defines it as “the ability to use information & communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, demanding both cognitive and technical skills.” It also involves the capacity to gather data, assess the reliability of that data using critical thinking techniques, produce original content, and convey all of that.
As stated in the definition, digital literacy calls for a wide range of technological proficiency in addition to more conventional reading and critical thinking abilities.
This article will look at the following topics:
- Definition of digital literacy and its connection to digital citizenship
- Principal conclusions of Avast’s report on digital citizenship for 2021
- Professional analysis of the significance of digital literacy
The pandemic pushed us here
Our lives were becoming more and more digitally connected even before the World Health Organization announced an international health crisis in 2020. However, we were driven to expedite our embrace of digital technologies by the epidemic and the lockdowns that followed. In a matter of barely six months, Zoom went from being a somewhat obscure app to a verb that was used without respect to the particular video app that users were really using.
The epidemic caused an almost immediate shift to online learning for young children, even younger digital natives, with lasting effects that persist even after most countries have reopened their schools. The younger Gen X generation and older Millennials, who are considered digital natives, have typically discovered that they are dependent on their existing technology more.
Digital immigrants, on the other hand—those who were born before the digital revolution or who didn’t begin using digital technology until they were adults—had to catch up. They had to become proficient with new technology fast because the “real world” was closing in on them. These digital immigrants had to acquire digital literacy—that is, technological and critical thinking skills—virtually overnight.
Avast collaborated with YouGov and Forsa in 2021 to investigate global trends in digital citizenship. Our research, which involved surveying over 16,000 internet users across 17 countries, aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how attitudes, patterns, and opinions regarding the internet have changed globally, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Key findings of Avast’s Digital Citizen Report
- Over half of the world’s population, or 4.6 billion individuals, have access to the internet. Furthermore, the number of users is increasing quickly—roughly 700,000 more individuals join the internet every day.
- Not every internet user is made equally. Global internet usage trends indicate that a growing numeral of people access the internet through portable phones rather than fixed broadband connections in their homes or workplaces. Although digital natives and immigrants have different literacy issues, age is also a crucial role in an individual’s digital literacy.
- The expectation is that people will always need the internet. According to 60% of respondents worldwide to our Digital Citizenship Report, the global pandemic made the internet more important in their life. Because they’ve grown accustomed to it, one-third of respondents stated they will keep engaging in a variety of online activities.
- The internet has become increasingly important to older generations, and they are more comfortable with technology. Approximately one in five respondents, including 18% of those over 65, felt more comfortable using the internet since they were forced to do so during lockdowns, regardless of their age group in our survey. Merely 7% of participants expressed difficulty using it.
- Both digital immigrants and locals continue to have concerns about digital literacy. Even while more and more individuals of all ages and backgrounds are using the internet, there are still major issues with digital literacy. In general, older generations find it more difficult to pick up the skills necessary to use the technology as quickly and easily as they would like. Although the younger generation, having grown up with these tools, can utilize them with ease, they frequently require further assistance in comprehending the long-term effects of their digital actions. Furthermore, it appears that none of the users can easily tell the difference between accurate and false information.
How do we improve adult digital literacy?
Due to the increasing sophistication & prevalence of online fraud and scams, it is imperative for all digital users to develop their critical thinking skills. This kind of critical analysis consists of:
- being able to discern between false and accurate information.
- figuring out what and whom to believe online.
- knowing what personal data should be kept private and what can be shared without risk.
- being aware of how businesses monitor your internet activity and how they handle your personal information.
We spoke with a number of digital literacy specialists to find out what we should and should do to help individuals feel more comfortable using the internet. Although our questions were essentially the same, some of the responses highlighted intriguing variations.
We hope to learn more about what digital literacy is, how it relates to various demographic groups, and how to make sure everyone can take advantage of their digital lives while staying safe and secure online by showcasing their thoughts on how to develop and maintain adult online literacy.
The digital literacy experts
The Chief Information Security Officer of Avast is Jaya Baloo. She has worked in information security for almost 20 years, specializing in secure network architecture. Baloo is a component of the advisory boards for Flagship Strategic, PQCrypto, and the National Cyber Security Center in the NL.
Psychotherapist, lecturer, writer, and consultant Catherine Knibbs specializes in cyber trauma. Her professional work focuses on assisting adults in safely navigating their digital lives, while her academic work focuses on children’s digital experiences.
For almost 25 years, Chris Price has worked as a technology journalist. At the moment, he writes for The Daily Telegraph and produces branded material for a number of their customers, such as Microsoft, Vodafone, and BAE Systems.
The CEO of Esme Learning Solutions, which collaborates with prestigious universities to transform digital education, is David Shrier. Shrier, a globally recognized counselor and expert, is curious about ethical AI and the ways that technology may address global issues.
The CEO of Next-Up, which collaborates with employers to support workers over 50 in the next phase of their lives, is Victoria Tomlinson. She is Leeds Digital’s chairwoman.
Question 1: What are the benefits to feeling competent with technology and the internet?
All of our experts agreed that being able to stay connected in a world where everything is done online was the main advantage of feeling comfortable with technology. They emphasized that social media, online banking, and several government services are all online, and that if you lack digital literacy, it might soon be impossible to access these services and social media platforms.
As Victoria Tomlinson noted, a lot of people over 50 find it difficult to comprehend the advantages of using technology in general and the internet in particular. They need to adopt the mentality that they “do” technology, whatever that entails, because I fear that they will grow increasingly disengaged over time. Particularly after retirement, individuals have a plethora of options, not the least of which is to locate and join communities that will facilitate social interaction and offer opportunities. “They may become irritated about not being able to access things online, but I don’t think it’s something they wish they could solve.” It doesn’t seem like folks are genuinely motivated to take on more.
It turns into a slippery slope, though, if you begin to turn down one thing (a new gadget or software, for example) that doesn’t significantly alter your life. Eventually, though, you’ll say no to so many things that there will be such a gulf; you’ll feel embarrassed and unable of recovering from it. Finding something you are enthusiastic about online is therefore essential to keeping yourself interested in the subject matter while picking up new technological skills. This justifies the work put into learning.
The downsides are the opposite of the advantages, in the words of Jaya Baloo. The general view was that the disadvantages included feeling alone and isolated and being unable to perform basic jobs like banking and shopping, which have mostly shifted online during the pandemic. If you are not adept with technology, you cannot fully participate in society.
The drawbacks are the flip side of the benefits. If you’re not digitally proficient, you can’t fully participates in society.
People are losing their employment due to a lack of digital competency, according to David Shrier. People my age and older (50+) are losing their employment due to a very severe issue: they lack the digital skills necessary to stay up to date with things like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and, shortly, quantum computing and the metaverse. Your workforce is unprepared to deal with these emerging technologies, which are all beginning to become commonplace.
Despite these consequences, Tomlinson claimed that her clients—who are often retired—remain uninterested in picking up new digital skills. “I’m still teaching individuals how to utilize LinkedIn because it’s crucial for their work. They’re not even very interested in using LinkedIn. They don’t seem to care, and I have to explain to them why it’s vital for this next phase.
“I’m trying to explain that you don’t have a website, that people don’t know where you are, and that you are no longer on the company website. After two or three years, when people have forgotten who you are and where you were, how do they get in touch with you? I believe that they are beginning to realize this, but we still need to demonstrate the long-term advantages to them.
Question 3: As an adult, how can one build competency within the digital space?
The ability to attempt, fail, and try again is the key to developing competency, according to all of our experts. Shrier said that since people will only need to learn the things they are interested in learning, focusing on what they want to do can make it more enticing.
Chris Price compared it to launching a company, saying, “Many people create obstacles for new technology because they believe it to be somewhat complicated. In actuality, you should be ready to fail, which is really similar to what it’s like to be an entrepreneur. You just have to give things a shot. I believe that a common issue among people is a slight fear of technology. We must get over our lack of self-assurance and fear of making mistakes in order to go on and not worry about them.
Question 4: Whose responsibility is it to ensure digitally literate in adults?
Our experts concurred here as well. To increase adult digital literacy, everyone must do their share as this is a societal issue. A few of our specialists emphasized the efforts made by different companies, governments, nonprofits, and other groups to raise adult digital literacy. In the end, everyone came to the same conclusion: digital literacy cannot be achieved without individual accountability and a robust support system.
Shrier noted that by upskilling employees rather than firing them, many companies might actually save money. Shrier stated, “If employers spent more on reskilling and less on laying off, they would serve themselves and the world better.” Accelenture is renowned for making significant investments. Instead of simply terminating employees, they reskilled them with 60% of the savings they received from the AI digital transformation of their own company.
“They appropriately adopted the stance that, well, people are the foundation of culture. We have worked extremely hard to create the ideal culture, and we hire and educate individuals who share our values, procedures, and methods of operation. Therefore, instead of merely firing them, finding someone else to replace them, and then spending a year upskilling them to the point where they can operate effectively, why don’t we take six months to reskill an existing employee into a new, more valuable role? That’s what they actually did.
Question 5: What are the most important skills to develop to build digitally literate?
Each expert in this case had a different opinion on the most crucial abilities. Baloo’s online skill system was divided into tiers. The majority of us are on tier one, which covers “defensive internet use,” “learning how to stay safe online,” and “understanding what happens with our data.” It entails understanding how to establish and make secure passwords, control privacy settings, and distinguish between safe and unsafe websites to access or click on.
In the second tier, news content analysis and source identification are combined with “learning and applying online manners in more social spaces and figuring out how to navigate between numerous streaming services.” Lastly, Baloo mentioned a third level that many of us are unaware of, which entails having more understanding of malware, phishing, and frauds.
Price’s most crucial internet ability is critical thinking, which is targeted by Baloo’s second tier. In a world full of false information, deepfakes, and other internet manipulation techniques, Price believes that the capacity to question the motivations behind something’s writing, as well as who wrote it and whether there are any biases or malicious intents, is essential.
Along with the practical talents of creating something that will function and be useful to people, there are also “the skills of the people really involved in designing the technology,” according to Price.
Tomlinson persisted in emphasizing that individuals must assume responsibility for coming up with their own answers to issues. For her part, Catherine Knibbs discussed how we initially frame digital education.
“I think there ought to be a change in our approach to beginners having the interest in the first place,” Knibbs stated. “There are a number of books called the ‘Dummies’ Guide to.” “We need to get past the terrifying stories [of people losing all of their money in online scams] that are frequently circulated in the mainstream media and instead move toward a future where technology improves people’s lives.” Additionally, we must quit calling people idiots.
Question 6: If you have digital literacy, how can you maintain it?
The greatest method to preserve and even enhance online literacy is to keep using technology and approach new tools and services with curiosity. In his statement, Knibbs emphasized the need of periodically pausing to reflect on your own knowledge, stating that “the overconfident user can make blunders due to complacency, & this is one trait cybercriminals look to exploit.”
However, Tomlinson noted that it can be challenging for people to keep current after leaving their positions. “Once you leave a corporate, there’s no automatic updating process—you unknowingly take in things from work.” New laws have been passed, training departments are in place to ensure that everyone is knowledgeable, and you take in information without even realizing it is happening to you.
Engagement, in Baloo’s opinion, is crucial: “Remain online, remain involved, and make thoughtful decisions.” You are free to choose whether or not to follow any new social media fad; I’m not suggesting you have to. However, select the digital society channels you wish to use in the same way that you select the channels for “real world” society. The most crucial thing is to continue taking in and being present.
The experts’ key takeaways
Jaya Baloo’s thoughts on enhancing digital literacy among all:
What does digital literacy look like in Driver’s Ed? I would suggest that it is understanding what happens to your data, practicing “defensive internet use,” and learning how to stay safe online. It entails grasping the basics of what is safe & unsafe to click on or visit online, managing privacy settings, and creating and maintaining strong passwords. You have a foundational level of digital literacy if you can do that. We’ll refer to it as Digital Literacy 101.
“And there are layers constructed on top of Digital Literacy 101, just as there are other common education levels. Analyzing news and sources is, thus, a good illustration of, say, Digital Literacy 2.0. Learning how to navigate between various streaming sites and using online etiquette in more social settings are also important.
“As our digital literacy increases, we also need to be mindful of safety.” Regretfully, I believe that the current internet community isn’t doing all that well in this regard. Knowledge of phishing, frauds, malware, and the resources required to safeguard your family and yourself from these online threats are some examples of digital literacy 3.0.
“Avast wants to get that 3.0-level stuff down to 1.0. You need to be able to navigate the internet safely in order to be a fully fledged digital citizen. And you can’t accomplish that without awareness of and protection from internet threats.”
Catherine Knibbs discusses the need of introducing new technologies to people.
“We require a strategy that sparks curiosity and clarifies things. We can accomplish this through educating people about competency, safety, and ways to improve life. The ability to turn on a computer, set up a smartphone for the first time, send text messages, make video chats, and understand what constitutes appropriate security are examples of skills.
“Social media, emails, security, where to go if you feel you need help, and advice if you have made a mistake are all covered in the lessons.” We require [websites] where we may ask for assistance and feel as though we won’t be condemned. People would only need to click to be able to learn and acquire the necessary abilities if these websites were installed on smartphones and included on the main home pages of all ISPs (internet service providers).
Chris Price discusses how poverty affects digital literacy.
“People, businesses, and charitable organizations all have a duty. and the government in addition. Subsidized broadband would make sense for those who wish to use these services but are unable to pay for them.
“[We] discuss digital exclusion, but it goes beyond folks who are shut out simply because they are not accustomed to using technology. It could be that they just lack the necessary funds. As per the Ofcom research, around 1.5 million houses in the UK, or 6% of all homes, lack internet connection, including broadband and mobile phones.
People who lack the funds for broadband are so marginalized, and many of them are old. Another area that disadvantages people is that there are parts of the nation with very minimal coverage—not even 3G speeds.
David Shrier discusses how AI can bridge the gap in digital literacy:
“The inherent paradoxes in artificial intelligence make it a fascinating technological advancement. The common perception of AI is that technology will eventually replace humans in our occupations. The future belongs to robots. However, artificial intelligence (AI) can also help you learn new things more quickly and become a more productive employee at work.
For instance, cognitive AI systems are being used at Esme Learning to assist individuals in learning new material and quickly applying it to real-world issues. In this area of hybrid intelligence, which is sort of emerging, humans and machines collaborate to do tasks that neither could complete on its own.
On the disparities in digital literacy in underdeveloped nations:
“People in the developing world have a problem with digital literacy, and COVID has really exposed the digital divide,” Shrier stated. For a period of eighteen months, my school-age children were allowed to enroll in lessons on Zoom. Even now, they use Zoom for their courses when there is a COVID-19 school lockdown and they have to go remote. It’s a whole new level of fluency for digital natives.
However, many in underdeveloped nations skipped a year or two of school. Furthermore, COVID increases the urgency of addressing this lack of connectivity (which is one of the UN’s sustainable development objectives) because it prevents you from accessing financial institutions, healthcare, education, and other necessities of life. When you lack digital literacy or digital connectivity, you even lose access to your job.
Victoria Tomlinson on the devaluation of people over 50 by employers:
“How much of a priority is it to support in advanced IT skills?” inquired the construction industry. And these included VR, robots, 3D printing, and related technologies. Furthermore, 87% of the employers stated it isn’t a top concern.
“Oh, well, they’re over 50,” is the first thought that crosses your mind. It is irrelevant. And you’re like, wait a minute. These are the directors and finance personnel who are responsible for future planning and investment approval. It is their duty as managers and supervisors to investigate new methods of working, implement them, and then oversee employee training.
“And all of a sudden, you wonder how they manage departments or make investment decisions with technology they don’t understand.”
Therefore, I believe that employers need to get a serious wake-up call. This research indicates that we don’t have very high expectations for persons over 50 and write them off at that age.
In other studies that Tomlinson has examined, participants are asked to rate how well their abilities are utilized and recognized at work. These students “talked to 16 to 24-year-olds, & 75% of them said, yep, they are,” as Tomlinson pointed out. Fantastic. 75% of the elder generation responded, “No, they’re not.” And you only consider the fact that 75% of employees over 50 feel their skills are underutilized or unrecognized at work.
“I’m trying to run on the belief that there has been a real shift. convincing us to invest less in our older generation and to adjust our expectations. Though it’s a huge task, what’s happening is absurd. We’re [very] late in all of this, and everyone actually needs to undergo a significant mental adjustment.
conclusion
A transition that will be every bit as traumatic as the first Industrial Revolution is currently underway. The most recent developments in digital literacy emphasize the necessity of enthusiasm, confidence, and the vital significance of online safety. However, no single strategy can guarantee that everyone feels secure and at ease online. There are several ways to close the digital literacy gap, but each one must take into account the particular requirements of the targeted populations.
Even if we could instantly overcome the problem of digital literacy, new technologies will unavoidably develop and pose unanticipated difficulties. Every time we attempt to provide a solution in this area, more questions arise. However, as every expert we spoke with emphasizes, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic. We must remain committed to the problem and develop fresh approaches to address the way that digital literacy affects individuals in various global civilizations.
