Digital Literacy

In my own words, digital literacy is the ability to understand how to use modern technology properly. In my life, it is necessary for me to be digitally literate. I often come into contact with technology everyday and it is useful for me to know how to work with these technologies. If I did not know how to use common technologies like a computer I would have trouble completing homework and class assignments for school. Knowing how to use technology is a very important skill to have in today’s society. Today, we are exposed to technology more than ever. Everyday there are more and more advanced technologies being put on the market and if a person does not know how to use them they can become overwhelmed by the technology. One way of showing that knowing technology can help a person is as simple as knowing how to use a GPS. For example, my grandmother had a built-in GPS in her car but didn’t know how to use it so she always had to print out directions from Google Maps which weren’t always accurate. She grew tired of printing out directions and getting lost so she decided to learn how to use her GPS. Now she is glad she learned how to use her GPS and is satisfied with the directions that her GPS gives her. One thing I learned about digital literacy is the digital divide in America and around the world. A digital divide is when part of a population is not as technologically advanced as another population. In many places in America there are schools that don’t have enough computers for all of their students. This causes some students to not have the same technological opportunities that most have. Another effect of having a digital divide is falling behind the rest of the world. For example, countries in Africa are decades behind in technology compared to developed countries like America, England, and France.