How to define literacy in today’s world
Literacy happens over the course of a lifetime, focusing not only on words but on their ever-evolving reading contexts
The number of Canadian seniors using the internet has more than doubled in the last decade, rising from 32 per cent to 68 per cent. Add the dwindling number of print newspapers across the country and the boom of online socializing this past year has necessitated, and it’s reasonable to guess that the number of seniors online will only increase.
Still, compared to the rest of the population, older adults are not spending nearly as much time online as younger generations. While the pros and cons of this are debatable, one fact remains true: digital literacy is lower among the elderly.
Literacy was once a much simpler thing to define. However, the internet era has people trading pages in books for pages on the web. This contextual shift means learning about the system around the words we read is just as important as the words themselves when it comes to understanding information online.
For older adults and the people who support them, this requires a new mindset — one that recognizes digital literacy as a lifelong pursuit.
Adult learning nonprofit ABC Life Literacy Canada defines digital literacy as “having the knowledge, skills and confidence to keep up with changes in technology.” Others point out that adults who are digitally literate are comfortable accessing information through digital platforms — from booking health appointments to spotting misinformation on social media.
This form of literacy shifts at the speed of technology. For those who aren’t immersed in tech through school or work, where cellphones and laptops are now an irreplaceable tool, a concentrated effort to stay up to date with digital developments is important. A failure to keep pace with new ways that information is shared has a range of effects, from isolation and loneliness to serious issues of safety and security.
National data shows that fraud is the number one crime against the elderly in Canada. Online scams in the form of emails are among the most common. Requests for credit card information or a social insurance number are made from email addresses that seem safe on the surface to the victim — the sender’s address may include the name of a familiar person or company. Although this type of issue is loosely linked to literacy in the traditional sense, the problems that arise aren’t a result of someone’s ability to read. It’s the lack of understanding about bad actors in the online space, and how to spot them, that impacts whether or not a user becomes a victim.
The effects of online misinformation became a life or death issue during the pandemic. From vaccine hesitancy to skepticism towards lockdown measures, misinformed social media posts contributed to a host of challenges nationwide.
An Ontario Medical Association study found Ontarians aged 55 to 64 were most likely to spread misinformation on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. For an age group at high risk of fatal complications from the virus, digital literacy has become an essential capability this year. An inability to spot bad information online could be deadly.
Organizations across the country are helping older adults stay ahead of the trends, good and bad, when it comes to accessing and understanding information online. Volunteer organizations like Connected Canada are using digital literacy sessions as a way to combat loneliness in senior citizens, while at the same time making them more tech-savvy through connecting them with volunteer tutors. British Columbia’s Project Literacy has also shifted its focus to bridging the gap between seniors and the digital realm, providing one-onone sessions for seniors who want to create social media profiles or email with ease. Federally funded programs for digital literacy exist in every Canadian province.
These initiatives show that the definition of literacy is evolving. Skillful online navigation is an essential complement to the ABCs learned by youth. Literacy is more than just reading in the internet era. It requires a lifelong effort to understand the ever-evolving contexts in which we encounter words in today’s world.