To understand digital literacy, one must first understand what it means to be literate. Being “literate” goes beyond the ability to read and write. Having literacy in a certain area is to have a basic understanding and ability to engage minimally within that domain. Every individual has multiple literacies. Discussed by James Paul Gee in the article “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction,” different types of texts “call for different types of background knowledge and require different skills to be read meaningfully.” While “literacy” is often referred to in terms of written text, the digital aspect is not much different.
Print-based vs. Digital Literacy
Doug Eyman argues that there is “no functional distinction between print-based literacy and digital literacy” in his book “Defining and Locating Digital Rhetoric”. However, Eyman then goes on to consider its complexity as it “goes beyond the textual.” It is clear that multiple literacies are required in order to be digitally literate. Nevertheless, this is also true of print-based literacy. Let’s refer back to the concepts that Gee discusses. Both digital and print-based literacy require background knowledge and a variety of skills. The literacies for each domain may vary, but regardless, it is essential to have prior literacies.
Digitally Literate Children?
It is possible that more literacies are necessary to become digitally literate. However, it is also possible that we are not consciously aware of the literacies needed to be print-based literate. Something as simple as understanding how to use a pencil on a piece of paper, to write, can be compared to the knowledge needed to work a computer. Digital technology is advancing, and although it is new to many, for children, this technology has always existed. The integration of digital technology in the classroom has allowed for children to enhance their digital literacy. In the same way that many individuals grew up learning how to write, these newer generations are growing up learning how to use a computer.
Complexities Evolve
I have found that oftentimes, children know more about digital technology than adults do. In scenarios where adults have to troubleshoot and struggle to search for an answer to their digital obstacles, children already know how to solve the issue. I believe that the generations brought up by digital technology will not find digital literacy to be more complex than print-based literacy. Many individuals had to grow accustomed to the advancement of digital technology. This shift can cause the complexities of the field to seem larger than they are. However, it is difficult to know the discrepancies between print-based literacy and a literacy that is always evolving.
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