The Myth Of Digital Literacy

In the old days, it was pretty simple: being able to read and write made you a literate individual. Now, with texting, Twitter, video production, etc… trying to define what it means to be "literate" in 2009 can be confusing and challenging.

Why does this matter to you, as a Marketer?

In order to grow your business (in terms of both new clients and bringing on the right team members), we have to be the leaders in education. These new channels and platforms are changing the way people communicate and connect, and this is changing the way we can introduce new products and services to them. How we communicate, learn and understand is an intrinsic part of this process. It’s a huge question that affects business, education and the very core of our society (if that sounds big and scary, it is supposed to).

Watch this video segment.

On Thursday night (October 1st, 2009), the TVO television show, The Agenda With Steve Paikin, attacked the topic in what was one of the most interesting pieces of television I’ve seen in a long while. Here’s how the show describes this segment: "Is technology destroying our ability to write or reviving it? The new age of digital communication." (it runs about 40 minutes long).

If the segment piques your interest, you should also check out: Stanford Study of Writing.

You can find the segment here: The Debate: The Myth of Digital Literacy or watch it here: