In today's digital age, literacy requires more than the ability to read, write and understand text.
In today's digital age, literacy requires more than the ability to read, write and understand text.
We receive our information in varied formats and through many different media such as the web, videos, audio content and even digital games. Now we must not only be literate to succeed, but also digitally literate.
So what exactly does it mean to be digitally literate? Leslie Osborne, Manager of Digital Society Policy and Research at the Australian Communications and Media Authority, defines digital media literacy as "possessing the skills and abilities to participate in the digital economy, specifically the ability to use, understand and interrupt digital communications." Australia has made digital literacy a national priority and has implemented a wide range of programs nationwide, focusing mostly in schools.
Tessa Jolls, President of the Center for Media Literacy has a similar definition of media literacy. She says it is "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and participate with digital forms of media." Jolls sees digital literacy as something that need to be taught to children in schools, and her organization helps in creating curriculum and training teachers on how to approach the subject. "We want students to learn the process of inquiry," she said.
In the curriculum developed by the Center for Media Literacy, the focus is on teaching children to ask five key questions:
1. Who created this message?
2. What creative techniques were used to attract my attention?
3. How might different people understand this message differently?
4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are present in, or omitted from, this message?
5. Why is this message being sent?
ictQATAR Secretary General Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber agrees with Osborne and Jolls views on digital media literacy. "Digital literacy is the need to read and write audiovisual information rather than just text. It is the ability to use a range of media and be able to understand the information received. But the ability to understand the information being received is not enough. Being able to process this information critically - questioning, analyzing and evaluating, is essential," she said.
Al-Jaber sees the creation of more digital content in Arabic as key to promoting digital media literacy in the region. "We cannot be fully successful in increasing digital literacy unless we increase the amount of Arabic content on the internet. Today Arabic is the fifth most spoken language worldwide yet only about one percent of content online is Arabic," she said.
The BBC is creating a great deal of content for youth around digital media, although not in Arabic. Adrian Mills, Head of Business & Planning at BBC Children, highlights the BBC's CBeebies and CBBC as examples of quality digital content that can help promote digital literacy among youth. He encourages parents to not assume their children are digitally literate just because they know how to use certain types of technology.
"They might understand the technology, but not the repercussions of using it, such as posting things online. We can create safe environments for children online, but parents and teachers must still teach them the skills to use it safely," said Mills.
As new forms of media and communication continue to emerge, digital media literacy will continue to grow in importance. The fundamental piece of digital literacy is critical thinking, so be sure to ask yourself the who, what, when, where and why of all the digital content you consume, and be sure your children know how to as well.
-- By: Brian Wesolowski
