Introduction:
Information in electronic form and internet is what drives 21st century and has become an absolute necessity in current times. It is more than just 0’s and 1’s, it can carry very valuable information. When internet became available to general public, the power which information carries has risen up exponentially and consequently data became one of the most valuable assets of 21st century. For that reason, showing indifference to digital life has many disadvantages than advantages. Regarding this topic, I aim to keep this post as brief as possible and discuss both sides impartially.
The current situation:
Digital literacy roams around this idea only. When almost everything is run by technology and computers these days, it is impossible to avoid it entirely. Everyone must learn how to operate an electronic device. In transportation, in food services, basic communication, life in general, etc., everywhere you will find some electronics or technology is involved. However, reality speaks otherwise. Older generations are reluctant to get involved with anything technology as well as often do not trust it. It is seen that current generation kids are teaching their elders, how to operate a smartphone. They dig up some advanced features on those devices which even elders do not know. However, the same might not be totally hold true for highly educated families from developed countries. Surrounding environment around us plays a vital role in shaping our minds and same is true in this context.
Sadly, due to this reluctance among majority population, we are witnessing real life impacts. Lots of misinformation which distorts public opinion. Financial frauds are being committed where payment is digital. Countries like India, USA, etc. favor digital payments. On the flip side, countries like Germany, Switzerland, etc. strongly prefer cash payments. Due to coronavirus and consequent lockdowns, we had seen that many people, students including teachers had a hard time adopting to online classes. There are many similar occurrences like this around the world.
Information age and critical thinking:
Previously, the source of information was only limited to books and libraries. However, now, information is floating around everywhere in massive amounts. The main hurdle in this regard is that, identifying what is right and what is wrong, objectively. Misinformation and fake news are at all-time high. Social media companies are profiting billions by helping such news to spread. Hatred among each other, bitter feelings towards each other are increasing day by day. I want to highlight one phenomenon related to this, i.e., confirmation bias in humans. Social media companies exploit this a lot by showing content which matches or confirms someone’s existing beliefs. This leads to polarization among people and it has real life impact. This trend will have negative consequences in a healthy society. At the same time, critical thinking skills continue to diminish in people. I would partly blame a too easy life for this. Without adequate critical thinking and constant learning, our future might become gloomy. This is exactly one of the reasons why digital literacy and understanding its impact is so much crucial.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the world around us has always evolved through centuries. There is no excuse to not learn the new things around us. Such reluctance is pointless since world will not stop getting better or stop evolving because someone did not care to gain new knowledge. The current time has become a technological revolution and it will definitely change the world forever. I believe, there are two groups of people in this reference. One group will constantly whine and complain about how life is hard for them. And one group will learn new knowledge and adapt to that new environment. And here, the second group wins in life. In another public interest, fair knowledge of technology is important since legitimate threats like misinformation, fake news, cyberattacks, problematic elections, etc. will actively harm us in real life and will have real life consequences. Technology is hard, so is mathematics. However, we must learn to adapt with it and coexist.
My main motive of this blog post is to raise awareness on this topic and additionally push the need of embracing technology in our lives. Reluctance to it is not an option anymore.
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