The role of digital literacy in the lives of adults and young people.

Not so long ago (about 20 years), my total exposure to digital technology came from

• Getting a few quid from a ropey second generation IBM cash machine,
• Working out how to schedule one programme to record on a video recorder (multiple user interfaces/remotes making this particular task exceptionally time consuming,) and; 
• Accessing the news/weather via BBC Ceefax (or even ITV Teletext).

A typical pre-work morning for me used to be alarm clock sounding, breakfast and off to work.

Today what have I got? Well let's work through a typical day in my life shall we?

6:30 am - My smartphone sounds the wake up alarm having spent all night charging whilst monitoring my email accounts, updating software - so I don;t have to and generally letting me sleep - it's even polite enough to switch to silent mode overnight so it doesn't wake me until the assigned time.
7:00 am - I switch on BBC News on my Sky+ Digital TV system - (which by the way has also been recording a couple of things overnight whilst also remembering that my granddaughter wants me to record every future episode of her favourite TV programme). Whilst I watch/listen to the news, I use my tablet to access emails - work and personal, see what dramas people have been posting about on Facebook and checking out the latest trending topics on Twitter. Occasionally, I'll 'Like' a photo or comment and even make a comment against them.
7:30 am - I make my sandwiches, pack my lunch and ensure I have my chargers for my tablet and phone in my bag. I am out of the door by 7:45 and drive to work (my in-car or phone-based satnav being there just in case I forget my way).
8:05 am - I arrive in work and, of course, the first thing I do is switch on my PC and log in to the college network (I am a lecturer) and just check that no-one has emailed me in the last hour or so. I spend the next 50 minutes answering any new emails and making sure my lesson resources are available in two locations in case the network fails when I'm teaching.I also continue to create a range of lesson resources for lessons this week on the computer.
8:55 am - I send a text message to my wife to say good morning (she's always up around now) and set off for my classes.
9:00 am - Lesson 1 (3 hours) where I mix a computer based PowerPoint presentation and projector and whiteboard work with paper based exercises - produced using Microsoft Word and/or Excel and printed using one of the college printers (or as we now call them Multi-Function Devices or MFD's - printers, scanners and email systems). , or, as is most often the case, my handouts and worksheets are emailed and printed by my colleagues in the Reprographics unit. I used to loathe and avoid copiers years ago because I found them too technically challenging to use - these days, however, I use them without thinking.
During the the lesson, I also record learner attendance using the college electronic learner management system (EBS) and sometimes also record learner progress using the electronic individual learning plan (ILP) system (EBS). During the lesson I also use a Socrative quiz to check learning and get instant feedback on learners' understanding of the new topic. A report is sent to me automatically by Socrative to show me how each learner did - this means I can give instant targeted help where needed.
12:00 pm - I return to the office for lunch and check my emails - answering those requiring urgent replies. I also check the Awarding Body's online assessment system to see if computer based assessment results from last month's Level 4 computer based assessments have been posted.Whilst checking I also open an Excel file to record the assessment results form one of our Level 2 courses this morning (they get instant results with this system as the assessment system marks these assessments remotely). I use the information I've just recorded to help me identify weak areas of teaching as I can see task by task performance data - something I would never have been able to do with paper based assessments. I use the 12-1 time to eat my lunch - checking news websites for stories I can use in my classes this afternoon or tomorrow. I also use this time to contact a colleague on a different site via the instant messaging system linked to my email account.
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - This is very much a repeat of the morning but I can use some of the data I extracted during my lunch break to explain why some of the learners didn't pass their assessments this morning. I also re-check the assessment system to see if the Level 4 results have come through - lo and behold they're there so I enter a reminder on my Outlook diary to email results and assessment feedback to the learners after my lesson.
4:10 pm - I am back in my office having just emailed assessment results and feedback to those Level 4 learners (having recorded similar information to that recorded at lunchtime). I also post a comment to the course Facebook group and the Twitter account to congratulate everyone on outstanding performance - ensuring I enter the percentage pass rate so that any prospective learners can see how well we do. I spend the next hour or so finishing off a self-marking spreadsheet based assessment for Financial Statements - learners love the fact they get instant feedback and visual indicators (like colour changing cells) to see how they're doing. These are being developed to give faster learners a wider range of resources to work with and I try to put something new into each new assessment as I learn a new 'trick'.
5:00 pm - I head home - the satnav systems there just in case again.
5:30 pm - I stop off for a few odds and ends at the supermarket - paying by debit card, withdraw some cash from the machine outside the store and take a photo of an unusual plane circling overhead using my smartphone. I then drive home.
5:50 pm - I am sitting down with a nice cuppa, checking me emails on my tablet, answering less urgent and new ones.
7:00 pm - I work through a web-based training module to bring my knowledge of VAT rules up to date (I am an accounting lecturer).
8:00 pm - A little bit of free time before we sit down to watch a film on Netflix, so I check emails, Facebook and Twitter again - answering any messages. I delete the spam emails but always check for MoneySavingExpert emails and make a note of new online offers.
8:30 pm - We all sit down to watch the film, it usually takes a lot longer than it did tonight to search through the wide range of films, TV series and documentaries available. I spend a few minutes explaining to my son why many of the internet based download sites are streaming films illegally comparing them to a school pupil copying an exam from their neighbour.It always makes me laugh when we sit to 'watch' a film because my son and daughter have one headphone in, listening to music on their iPods or laptops whilst also checking Twitter, Facebook, Intsagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Youtube (to name but a few) for any new posts or, indeed, anything that interests them. They often send each other messages via one of these apps whilst sitting in the same room - they think adults don't know but the sudden laugh or tantrum can only have been triggered by something one of them has said.Sometimes my son prefers to chat to his friends online whilst playing LOL (League of Legends) together - his friend base extends beyond the confines of the playground to people from around the world.
11:00 pm - off to bet with a cup of hot chocolate (made using the Tassimo machine we bought using an online discount code and hot chocolate 'pods' I can only find online). 
I sit in bed reading my latest book download on my tablet (I don't read conventional paper books any more - my whole library is contained inside my tablet), occasionally checking emails and Facebook for any last updates. This new book would cost me £10 in Waterstones but the digital download was less than £5 - £5 saved!
11:30 pm - lights off (after checking my alarm so I can repeat today, tomorrow).

Well, what's this got to do with Digital Literacy, young people and adults I hear you ask. Put simply, this life is repeated (to a greater or lesser extent) by a huge proportion of the UK population today. Indeed, I think you would all recognise elements of my day in yours - how much has you typical day changed in the last few years?

Let's look at some of the different functions I've carried out today:

Communication - I've used a range of technologies/systems to communication with colleagues, relatives and friends. I have made exactly no phones calls today preferring email and instant messaging as well as posts to social networks. I've sent and received emails - many of which went directly to people I've never met. My children have been chatting and tweeting, playing games, watching videos and listening to music without a second thought - merging technologies - phones, iPods and computers into one seamless system.

Commerce - I paid for my shopping using my debit card - no physical cash changed hands and I also used digital technology to withdraw some cash using the store's cash machine. I also purchases an electronic book using stored debit card details on my tablet. I been exposed to digital marketing which has informed me of offers tailored to my 'needs' and Netflix really enjoyed telling me new films I would like to watch. My son uses a gaming system that requires a paid subscription. I also decided to lend my daughter some money so, rather than going to the cash machine, withdrawing physical cash and sending it to her via Royal Mail, I spent a couple of minutes (maybe 2 or 3) transferring cash from my bank account to hers. Indeed, many banks are having to revitalise their branches to try to keep them open - Barclays Digital Eagles is a good example of this.

Education - obviously, a lot of my day has been spent using technology to enhance (hopefully) my teaching thus educating others). I also spent the day learning how to do new things with the computer and also updating my subject knowledge.

Employment - I spent most of the day using different technologies to help get ideas, concepts and methodologies over to my learners. I've also use a variety of systems to monitor learner progress and also carry out some course management tasks.  More and more job vacancies are being published online only (indeed, 5 1/2 years ago, my job application for the College was all completed online).This means that job-seekers no longer have to attend  a job centre or buy local newspapers to find work, they can just search online for vacancies that match their skill-base/needs. Furthermore, many applications now include online competency testing, filtering out unsuitable candidates before a human ever sees the applications. 

Entertainment - I used Netflix to provide me with a new film to watch whilst Amazon's Kindle system has furnished me with literature. Sky+ has made sure my granddaughter will be entertained when she comes to stay. I often listen to music while I work and access mp3 track 'ripped' from my physical collection or from my cloud storage.It is essential that I maintain a good understanding of copyright laws as it's possible to breach these laws by sharing tracks with other users.

Information - I consulted web based news systems to keep up to date and find new resources for my lessons. I accessed remote servers to find out assessment results. My satnav was always there in the wings just in case I needed to know where I was or how I was going to get somewhere. 

Organisation- I've had many different systems organising my life today - Facebook politely reminding me it's somebody's birthday (someone I've never met, in fact). My email accounts have silently helped to organise my emails into different categories (New, Read, Spam/Junk) - who needs a secretary.

Recreation -  I used a social network to post that photo of the unusual plane circling and keeping an eye on areas of special interests (both work or pleasure).

You notice I don't mention my wife here - sadly, since 2013, she's been housebound a lot and, having lost her job, she has lost contact with many people. She's found a new circle of friends by opening a Facebook account (she was a real computer-phobe until recently). Now she manages to maintain a social network - renewing contact with people she hasn't seen since her school-days, keeping up to date with what children and grandchildren are doing. She has also been able to keep in touch with a good friend of 20 years who is battling illness and is, herself, housebound a lot as well. With me in work for up to 12 hours a day, my daughter in university and my son constantly connected to his online gaming worlds and.,without her limited digital skills, my wife may be very isolated so, for her, these skills are very liberating indeed.

What technology have I used today?

Mobile phone, tablet computer, PC, laptop, Sky+ receiver, Camera (on my phone),

Do these all work the same/

Simply put, 'No'. My phone is Android, my tablet and PC  are Windows )Windows 7 and 8), the Sky+ receiver is a bespoke operating system. Let's not forget old faithful, the satnav. It's always there just in case but, to be honest, do I need it? Only in special circumstances - otherwise Google Maps will do.

So what?

Well, without some basic skills and some confidence, I would not have been able to get a lot of today's work done in one day. Indeed, 20 years ago, I had no digital literacy skills and I actually came close to leaving my degree course not because I wasn't bright enough but because I didn't possess the skills and knowledge to use the college computer systems to word process assignments. My life would have been very different today I can tell you.

What is the role of digital literacy in the lives of adults and young people? 

Simply put - all of the above and more. Digital literacy skills are needed to carry out a normal working day, we need them to work, rest and play and to stay in contact with people. We need these skills to make us effective workers, responsive to change and, I would argue, a 21st century citizen. Digital literacy skills give us not just the ability to use technology but also the ability to decide what technology is most appropriate given the existing set of circumstances we face. We need these skills to help us to save money (as well as to spend it!). Some need the skills just to maintain contact with the wider world while many of us need them to live. How often do you find yourself in a situation without a phone/internet signal and feeling lost for something to do? If you answer yes to this question, you now understand how important technology and, by extension, digital skills are to your daily life and the role these skills play.

However, all these positives need to be balanced by a few negatives. The growth of the 'always on' or 'on demand' life style that we all experience can breed higher stress levels. It's well known that stress and absence from work go hand in hand 

"Stress, including work related stress, can be a significant cause of illness and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover and other issues such as more errors."
http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/furtheradvice/whatisstress.htm

Many people (me included) find it difficult to switch off from work so coping mechanisms need to be learned.

The following graphic really shows the problem we all face on a daily basis - is it really impossible to disconnect from all of these digital technologies?

What we can do is learn to take the wide variety of technologies available and use them effectively.

The global adoption of the technologies and systems identified above mean many users fall victim to cyber bullying. Therefore, education is needed to help ensure people know how to behave online.

Whilst research can be greatly aided by adopting a variety of skills (e.g. using Boolean searches to narrow search results), the very existence of such a huge range of information can result in users failing to see the whole picture - e.g. only seeing one side of an argument - because they just choose the first couple of search results as their only source of information. Acquiring skills to make one a more effective researcher can enhance employability opportunities and,as with some of these other negatives, education and training is key to ensure digital literacy is not just a term but rather a way of life. 

The following Digital Citizenship infographic really helps identify some of the problems:

Digital Footprints

However, digital citizenship is not the only issue we need to think about here. Wherever we go on our digital travels, we leave behind traces of our journey - this is known as our digital footprint. With the massive rise in use of social media, users need to be aware of the far-reaching effects of their digital lives. Often employers request to see job applicants' online profiles to ensure that they are not engaged in any activities that may call into question the individual's ethical values or, indeed, put the potential employer in an embarrassing/compromising position. Users must be aware that just 'liking' someone else's post/picture, can be construed in a negative light by people they haven't even met or have links with.

Summary

So, the role of digital literacy in the lives of adults and young people is, essentially, only quantifiable if one actually scrutinises each person’s daily routine. It’s very difficult to make a general statement about what role digital literacy plays in a person’s life without first identifying what they actually do.