Digital literacy is the capability to use modern, digital technology to communicate, share, and learn information. From school assignments that require a basic knowledge of the Internet in order to do research, to the daily use of an email account to converse with family, friends, and coworkers, digital literacy enables people to communicate and work quickly and efficiently. In fact, many jobs absolutely require at minimum a simplistic knowledge of computers, for both white and blue collar workers. And with the rate of growth and prevalence of digital technology worldwide, digital literacy is fast becoming a necessity for those who wish to have a secure, well-paying job. Companies now have more than local rivals to compete with; the economy is globalized by revolutionary, interconnecting digital technology that introduces competitors from across the planet.
As a result of its widespread use in the workplace, digital literacy is also becoming a building block of curricula in education. As a result, educators must acquire this skill and students are instructed in the use of such digital technology as computers from a young age. And students especiallyuse these skills recreationally to blog, maintain on online profile such as a Facebook or MySpace account, and keep up with other social trends. Although this is the most popular amongst younger generations, adults also utilize these same resources to catch up with friends, follow the latest trends, and even to monitor their children's online activities. In short, digital literacy is fast becoming as essential and vital a skill as reading and writing in our technology-based, rapidly growing society.
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This is a concept that I left out of my post that I was considering including. Even applying for a job as a waitress, there are questions on the application about how comfortable you are with word, spreadsheets, and even how fast you type. However, if one does not possess these skills, it is a very possible that a job as a waitress may be their only option. To obtain that high paying job that I know all of us at the University of Michigan are striving for, these are skills we are already expected to posses. This is a reason why I am excited for this class because I am not the most technologically savvy person and I hopefully can gain the knowledge I so desperately need to possess for the rest of my professional life.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned that the economy is being revolutionized by digital technology. I completely agree; technology is flattening the playing field for competitors all across the world, making it easy for people to work from country to country without ever having to leave their office cubicle. When you think about all the jobs that can be outsourced to other countries, such as India, almost all of it is done remotely through computer networks. Even things such as video conferences are crucial because you can have meetings with people all around the country, without ever having to meet up in one physical location. Digital literacy will soon shape the way our global economy is run; the companies that can utilize digital technology to their fullest will succeed, and those who cannot will fall behind.
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