Digital Media and Literacy

     Literacy is a basic human right. Everyone should have the ability to read and educate themselves. As a child it didn't seem like something so vital. Looking back at the reading requirements schools imposed I had a negative attitude towards reading and learning. Obviously I can read and write at an exceptionally high level when I feel inclined to do so but I felt as if it was a burden. I only began to realize that this was a gift later on in life. In my later high school and early college years I became more appreciative of being able to move at mine own pace and learn about things I actually cared about. I didn't have to wait on anyone to catch up with me and I eventually found that I can learn anything I put my mind to. This led to me learning to play multiple instruments, working on a short novel, and having reasonable success in college. Not everyone makes it to this point and I almost didn't myself. Had I given up on education and embraced my environment I would have ended as either a criminal or living on the streets. 

    I like many children around the world and in the U.S. lacked a responsible parental figure that would get excited about education so my interest fizzled out for the first time very early. I also lacked many of the basic skills that men are expected to know how to do even with the modernized expectations of society. It's a little sad to say but I had to learn how to shave and ride a bike myself. Later on the internet became the great equalizer for me. If I needed to learn how to do a math problem or change a tire I could easily find a tutorial online. I think one step to improve literacy and knowledge is to make more of this content available and easy to access. YouTube is one of the top websites that people can use to educate themselves on any number of topics. One YouTube sensation and now author of his own book has a channel specifically for practical knowledge for youngsters without a parental figure in their life. The channel is called Dad, how do I? and is a shining example of helping people help themselves. It may not contribute to basic literacy but I feel content like this is equally as important for younger people who don't have anyone to ask about basic tasks like changing doorknobs or wrapping Christmas Presents. Nobody should grow up to feel helpless just because they didn't have someone who cared enough to teach them all the things they should have.

 

    According to the NECS about 21% of adults in the U.S. alone fall into the classification of being illiterate. There are many contributing factors especially for the older generation. One such problem was the lack of diagnosis of reading/learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Those issues weren't taken as seriously when they were children. As for younger people the number has improved a fair amount. Some countries such as Greenland boast literacy rates of nearly 100% which sounds a tad too good to be true. One of the biggest issues that still exists is the lack of consistency in the teaching abilities of instructors. This isn't a knock on teachers but many of them aren't properly trained to help guide children through the process of learning how to read. This is mainly because all children are different and often times the teachers don't have the knowledge or one on one time with students to pick out which one's are at risk of falling behind when it comes to developing literacy based skills. 

    What's being done to improve our literacy rates? Digital literacy plays a large part in it. There an abundance of programs that are trying to improve literacy for all ages. Technology plays a key role in many of these instances. It seems to be an easy medium for learning to younger generations. You can see children that known how to use cellphones or tablets before they can even read the majority of what they see. Older people generally have a harder time adjusting to a new digital format of learning. It's a double edged sword for them, while it would likely be easier to learn using these tools they also have to learn how to use the tools themselves. Sadly this often creates a frustrating cycle that results in a loss of confidence. In my personal opinion one of the main contributors to illiteracy is lack of confidence. It's tough to be the kid who isn't as good a reader during reading circles, it can be embarrassing and a knock to their confidence. As an older person it may make you feel a little silly to ask for help using technology to read the news or further your knowledge in some other way. We need to normalize asking for help and making adjustments to allow people to learn at their own pace. Customizing an individuals learning experience might take extra time and effort but with technology on deck to assist it would almost certainly prove to be more effective in the long run.