We are going through an unannounced digital illiteracy crisis. Somewhere along the way, we have accepted this situation as the norm—and left it unchallenged.
Digital technologies have evolved massively in the past 20 years. Yet the ability to use them effectively has not kept pace.
For instance:
- Who is taking accountability to ensure these technologies are actually taught for business and personal use?
- Who is responsible for people missing out because they cannot use basic apps on their phones, computers, or enterprise systems?
- Who is developing competency modules to ensure employees can truly use their organisation’s digital tools?
- Who is enforcing governance so people protect personal data, clean and archive old records, restrict access to sensitive information, and use data for reporting and analytics that drive better decisions?
The list goes on. The point remains: we have accepted that it is okay for the general population—including our own employees—to remain digitally illiterate.
But this illiteracy comes at a huge cost—to productivity, to security, to innovation, and to all of us.
We must act. Start where you are. Start at home. Then work outwards—into your workplace, your community, and your networks—to help lift us out of this digital illiteracy crisis.
