Digital literacy, in my own definition, is a path born out of necessity to suit the trend of the world in which it exists at any given time. I’ll give you an example: Historians classify the times and periods of the earth majorly into:
At each of those times, digital or information literacy, as it was called, definitely meant a different thing to the people who existed and in the world they lived in. Those who were enlightened and those often called upon to fix societal problems then and those who do it now have the same peculiarity: information. They were special because they were ahead of others with information; they were early adopters. And information literacy has an interesting fact: it is always built upon by the next generation.
For example, before writing existed, humans had to store information in their minds. They used rhythm, songs, and landmarks to recall essential information (Mnemonic Technique). In the Middle Ages, this evolved into the Memory Palace Technique (Method of Loci), where scholars placed information within familiar spaces like rooms or cathedrals to recall large amounts of text. Merchants and artisans used symbolic counting systems to track debts and transactions. Even town criers used rhythmic phrasing to make public announcements stick in people’s minds. And even then, best believe that those skilled in and who implemented this in their daily ventures did better and lived comparably comfortably compared to their counterparts.
With this, you should already have an idea of what digital literacy is, but to emphasize:
Digital literacy is the ability to find, understand, and use digital tools to solve real-life problems. And like any other skill, it can be learned, practiced, and improved over time.
And empowerment? Empowerment is about giving people the ability and the confidence to take control of their own lives, helping a person see options that they didn’t know they had, and then fortifying them with the knowledge to act on those options. Empowerment is not only about giving answers; it is about giving people the tools to find their own answers. At its very core, empowerment is an intentional act, done with an empathetic heart and mind, a decision to help another person stand taller, see farther, become capable, and act with more confidence, having the power to make important decisions for their lives. This is why you don’t just empower people with anything.
Recall in my definition, I called empowerment an intentional and an empathetic act, done with reason. The intention being to leave an individual better than you found them. There’s nothing too special about the “digital”; it's the literacy that carries the main weight. Literacy is the ability to read, write, understand, and use information successfully. This means whether in prehistoric times or today, if you are literate, then you are good to go. But because this write-up is intended to be progressive, let’s focus on the modern age at hand, so we bring back the “digital.”
In today's world, you can attend meetings in any part of the world without being physically present, learn a chosen skill for free, attend a university in Asia while being based in the United Kingdom, etc. But you can only do that, or even know to do that, when you have adequate mastery of the required digital tools. Just like those town criers knew that rhythmic phrasing would make their announcements stick in people's minds, you have to know how to search the Internet effectively. Before knowing you can use it to search for schools worldwide, you have to have an email address first and be able to apply to these schools for admission programs. This is why digital literacy is one of the best forms of empowerment. It is a gift that keeps giving.