Due to the fact we live in such a technologically advanced age, it is reasonable to assume technology will be a big part the future generation’s life. Things could change, things could become so streamlined that even driving a car requires just the touch of a button. Nevertheless, we have to assume that digital mediums will be a big part of this generation’s lives, even if only for a few decades.
What is Digital Literacy?
Teaching children digital literacy means helping them understand technology on a basic level (usability) and then on a working level (utility). As children grow, they should learn how to use a Smartphone/tablet, a PC/laptop, and how to correctly use household technology (like the Smart TV) and external technology (like the touch-screen menus in McDonalds). As kids age, they should gain at least a working understanding of how technology works, even perhaps learning computer science and programming.
Do We Need to Push Digital Literacy onto Children?
It is quite possible that digital literacy isn’t “Important” for children at all. Things like good nutrition, safety and adequate exercise are important, but digital literacy may not be. Though that seems like a startling notion, you have to remember that most kids learn digital literacy on their own and fairly quickly. Kids don’t learn good nutrition until they are near their early twenties, but they learn how to use phones, TVs, and even microwaves, at a pretty young age. Still, as responsible people, we should do our best to moderate children’s interactions with digital mediums, to protect and teach them the best way we can.
Digital Literacy in Undeveloped Countries
It is massively important that children in undeveloped countries learn Chinese, Indian or English, and learn how to use technology. One of the biggest factors in taking younger people out of poverty in these countries is the adoption of technology. India alone has blasted its poverty line simply by teaching its younger people a second language and teaching them how to use technology.
Unexpected Digital Literacy in Very Young Children
Like learning a new language, it seems that many children pick up (learn) technology faster than people who are older. Technology is not intuitive for a child, but they are not held back by their preconceptions about how technology should work. As a result, it is not that difficult to make children digitally literate.
Digital Literacy Programs Should Be Context-Driven
There is a glaring mistake made by previous teachers or previous generations, and it is this: children and teens were taught digital literacy the same way they were taught history, humanities, and so forth. They were taught how to use Microsoft Excel, how to create pie charts, how to use Word and so forth. It was taught as a stale and clinical subject, which made it incredibly tedious for young people. Instead of this, classes should have had technology integrated as it would be in real life.
In woodworking shop, the students should have entered calculations into design software and accounting software so they could use the computer to work out how many materials they needed. Math class should allow for the processing of complex equations, or the use of probabilities, using programming code that the kids entered into the software. Even cookery classes could have taught the use of touch-screen recipes, allowing for the addition of alterations, so that kids had a better understanding of how technology would affect them in the real world.
Is There a Social Element?
We have to come to terms with the fact that modern socialization includes a heavy dose of technology. Children need to be digitally literate so they are not getting scammed by people pretending to be their friends, or by people who have unknowingly disseminated malware in a communication. Also, as the gaming world has taught us, teamwork and communication is often a cross-cultural and international endeavor, and technology lies at the heart of that.
Living in the Offline World
Even if the Internet went away tomorrow, technology is still a big part of modern life. They need to understand the big and the small elements, from how and why a house needs fuses, to how we program a digital central heating system. How are future generations going to understand their car diagnostic in a garage when they have trouble turning on the automatic vacuum cleaner? Plus, a lot of modern technology, especially programming and such, includes the sort of math, logic, science and creativity skills that have always been good for kids to grasp, learn and maintain. Those reasons alone are enough to prove the importance of digital literacy among children.
