Tech Savvy and Digital Literacy are not the same thing. Many people think that having the most sophisticated or expensive cellular phone and computer, or having your security system, car and washing machine connected by Bluetooth are all signs of being technology savvy. But in truth being tech savvy really means that you have the ability to use any accessible technology to be more productive and efficient. If you can use your computer or mobile devices to manage client calls, projects, meetings, social networking, research, blogging, bill payments, banking, shopping AND handle domestic chores – then you are tech savvy.
Digital literacy on the other hand is not just about technical know-how, it is about more about knowing how to use technology in a responsible way. One researcher at Deakin University describes Digital literacy as “the ability to identify and use technology confidently, creatively and critically to meet the demands and challenges of life, learning and work in a digital society.”
There is a whole generation of young people who enter high school and college with a polished set of digital skills, mostly self-taught around the use of certain apps and tools such as social media, gaming or online shopping. We live in a digital world where people of all ages and social backgrounds have had exposure to some form of technology. A lot of the information we use and disseminate is through digital technologies such as the internet, social media, and mobile apps. But just because you are confident using a computer or mobile phone, you may be an avid gamer, or you may be proficient in texting, streaming, tik toking, instagramming and posting photos and stories on social media – this does not mean that you command the set of competences and skills for life, work and learning that define true digital literacy.
Digital literacy skills go beyond mere technical savvy. You have to be able to apply critical thinking skills to evaluate information you find online, use it to create new knowledge, to communicate information effectively and ethically in a digital environment, and to apply what you have learned to make decisions and solve problems. So, developing worthwhile digital literacy skills can help you to choose the right education or career option, find affordable housing, or take advantage of an excellent investment opportunity.
It is important not to confuse technological confidence and competence with digital literacy. Ideally, if you want to perform masterfully in this 21st-century reality, you need to be agile with all the most widely used technologies today, and build digital literacy skills that would have the best advantage for your daily life. The infograph below gives some ideas as to how you should measure up in terms of being tech-savvy and cultivating digital literacy.
