What are digital literacy skills? (2023)

Living in a society where communication and access to information increasingly depend on the use of digital technologies such as the Internet, social media, and personal mobile devices makes digital literacy essential.

Read on to learn about the different types of skills that make up digital literacy, why they're important, and how to keep your own digital skills up to date.

What is digital literacy?

The term "digital literacy" was first used by Paul Glister in 1997 and was defined as "the ability to understand and use digitized information". Now it also refers to the skills required to be successful, ie. h be an effective and responsible participant in a digital society.

watch this short video¹To learn more about what digital competence is:

A series of key aspects that make up digital competence are:

• Communication: be able to convey their ideas and behave appropriately to communicate clearly in virtual environments
• Practical skills:be able to use technology to access, manage and create information in a digital and responsible way and preserve their knowledge. Technology, devices and systems are constantly evolving and it is important to keep up to date
• Professional skills:In the workplace it is important to be professional. Digital skills can help you stay professional as interactions increasingly take place in a digital environment. Therefore, being able to act and use information appropriately is crucial.
• Critical thinking:Information can easily be created on digital platforms, so recognizing what is relevant and accurate is essential. Information on the Internet can be used to deliberately educate, entertain, or even mislead us. When this is combined with user-generated websites like Wikipedia, the inability to think critically can lead to errors and the spread of misinformation.
• Security:Not everyone in the digital world cares about your well-being. Knowing how to protect not only yourself but also your devices is paramount.

Why digital skills are important

People who lack digital skills may find it difficult to access essential services and facilities in both their personal and professional lives, as the world we live in has changed since the first technologies. Thousands have been on a constant path of digital development. during years.

The global situation of 2020 caused a major change in the meaning of digital interactions. Guest rooms became offices, dining rooms became classrooms, and even social activities moved into virtual space. People without the necessary digital skills or devices felt digitally isolated and excluded.

Being digitally literate can impact:

• Education:Digital literacy not only grants access to online resources and school materials, but also offers a wide range of educational support tools that students with special educational needs (special education need), such as B. people with dyslexia, can support .
• Work:Being able to use basic office technologies like email and video conferencing tools is helpful, but colleagues with a broader range of digital skills can apply them to identify and improve ways of working, which can set them apart from their lesser peers. qualified. This can lead to innovation and new ways of working, as well as possible advancement or success at work.
• Communication:Email and social media platforms require different skills than making phone calls, writing letters, and communicating face-to-face, and can also help save time.
• Banks:Digital skills are becoming increasingly important to access banking and financial products as more and more people switch to card and even mobile payment options. According to the analysis carried out bybuscador.comBy the end of 2021, 38% of Brits will have or intend to have a purely digital bank: almost 20 million Brits.
• Investigation:Digital skills can give you access to a wide range of information that will help you both in your work and in your personal life. With these skills, you can safely use the Internet, find trusted merchants, check statistics for projects, and if you can use things like digital maps, review websites and electronic booking tools, even book your next vacation outright. online

What are examples of digital competence?

Digital skills are necessary for many everyday things at work and at home. You can even find digital skills used for travel and hobbies. The digital landscape is constantly changing, but let's take a quick look at some of the ways digital literacy could be useful today.

1. Digital devices

The ability to use a digital device such as a smartphone, laptop, or tablet is the first step in becoming digitally literate. Without an understanding of how devices work and which device to use for which purpose, the remaining digital skills will not only be difficult to learn, but also difficult to implement.

Digital devices come in all shapes and sizes, from more traditional computers like desktops and laptops to portable personal devices like tablets and smartphones. There are also a number of other devices such as VR headsets and wearables that are used especially in training environments.

2. Establish an Internet connection

Digital devices are increasingly dependent on being connected to the Internet. Knowing how to connect your digital technology to the Internet is helpful because without the skills necessary to connect to the digital world, the rest of digital literacy is unachievable. The Internet has become a part of everyday life, be it for school, work, or pleasure.

3. Use of web browsers and search engines

A web browser is the digital tool you use to access the Internet, and a search engine helps you access the information you're looking for—a new dress, party planning ideas, or the best schools in your area, for example.

Being able to access and classify information and other digital resources found online leads to the development of more digital skills as you continue to interact with and use web browsers and search engines.

4. Social networks

Social media is the term used to describe the variety of digital platforms you can use to connect with friends, family, or like-minded people online by sharing photos and videos you want others to see or sharing a funny story you heard at work.

They are a bit like a social club or a bulletin board, but online. Examples include Facebook and Twitter, where you can share a mix of text, video, and photo content, Instagram, which is primarily used for photo sharing, and TikTok, which focuses on short, often funny videos.

Social media can be overwhelming for newer users, so it's worth doing some research before creating an account and making sure you know how to handle anything you're not comfortable with. You can find much more information on social networks, including information on safe usein this article on Digital Wings.

5. Rating the reliability of online sources

Not everything that exists online is true or trustworthy. The more developed your digital skills are, the better you will be able to tell if something on the Internet is real or not.

Online misinformation, such as fake news and parody content, as well as intentionally misleading or false images and articles, can often be found online, especially on social media. This type of information can cause confusion, stress, and possibly harm, so knowing how to tell if something is genuine is a good skill to have.

Most social media platforms have information in their policies about how they and you can deal with misinformation.Internet Matters has this helpful guide to help you spot fake news..

Cybercriminals use the Internet to find their targets, using a variety of different methods to trick people. Check out this Digital Wings article to understand some of the methods cybercriminals can use and how to avoid getting caught.

6. Protection of your privacy

Data, once uploaded to the Internet, can be copied, stolen or lost. Knowing how to protect yourself and your data is very important to reduce the risk of such an event.

A strong and secure password is the best way to prevent access to your data, with unique passwords for each platform being the best method. However, since digital data is easily shared, it is very difficult to delete it once it is online. Therefore, it is best to mitigate these risks by not uploading or sharing personal data or information that you do not want others to see.

Was it Digital Literacy Tools?

There is a growing list of digital education tools, but some you may be more or less familiar with include:

Document creation tools, such as those used for word processing or spreadsheet creation, including some that can be used to create presentations; Video software used both for viewing content and for creating your own videos; tools to access benefits or health care online; and a host of other apps that can be used for everything from promoting wellness to gaming for entertainment.

Learn more about the types of digital skills that could help you in the workplacethe blog.

Digital skills are not only essential to survive in the digital world, they are necessary to succeed. Without access to devices and ongoing training, someone easily feels left behind and struggles to access essential facilities as more and more of them require a digital gateway.

There is a wide range of support that can be easily accessed. Barclays Digital Wings offers a platform designed to help everyone, from a basic introduction to digital skills that will allow you to fill any gaps you currently have, to a deeper level where you can further develop your skills, with regular updates and refreshers. . Digital skills are always up to date.