How important is digital literacy?

November 13, 2017

• Topical

When ICT (Information and Communication Technology) lessons were introduced into the curriculum, the digital world, and how we interacted with it, was very different to how it is now. Children probably had access to a home PC and a few had their own laptop. Parents could be more confident that they knew how their children were using computers – private browser on Internet Explorer didn’t exist. Now, children often have phones that can provide them with immediate access to the internet from wherever they are. Moreover, with ability to use technology becoming an increasingly important skill in the workplace, should we be teaching children digital literacy skills alongside the ‘three Rs’?

A recent report by the House of Lords Communications Committee has recommended that it should be seen as essential to teach children how to use technology and, maybe more importantly, how to make sure they stay safe on the internet. Online safety has been a priority of the government in recent years, especially amid fears of radicalisation. In 2015, then Education Secretary Nicky Morgan lay out that schools ‘need to have appropriate filters and monitoring systems, so that no child can access harmful content via the school’s IT systems’ and schools would ‘be required to ensure they teach their pupils about safeguarding, including online’. The House of Lords extended this sentiment outlining that ‘digital literacy’ should become a core component of the curriculum, with ‘online responsibilities, social norms and risks’ being included in PSHE lessons.

With the advent of ‘fake news’, it has become even more important to teach children skills to keep them safe and aware on social media. Social media giants, such as Facebook, are trying to do their bit by introducing a function where user can report or ‘fact check’ news they believe to be untrue or fake. In light of this, it seems a good idea to start teaching children from the off what ‘don’t believe everything you read’ really means in this day and age. There are no down-sides to having children who are digitally literate and more critical of things they read on the internet; it help keeps them safe and encourages the development of critical faculties.

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