Rethinking Digital Literacy

Abstract

It is more than ever relevant to address the present digital transformation challenges in society to understand, regenerate, renew, and strive in the (digital)future. In the current digital landscape, the revolution and revelation are in the online sphere: online work, online socialization, online learning, e-commerce, e-government, and all that on the remote. In this landscape, digital literacy plays a crucial empowering and enabling role. This conceptual essay explores an ongoing dialectic of socio-technological participation in the online world and the gaps that hinder participation, and provides an overview of Digital Literacy and Inclusion: Stories, Platforms, Communities. Digital literacy and digital inclusion are explored through the theoretical and practical implications, digital literacy textures through the filter of education, and convergent practices that showcase the digital literacy initiatives applied through communities of practice around the globe. As we are witnessing the emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and augmented reality, their growth raises important questions about our current legal systems, policies, and advocacy strategies and how they can mitigate the human rights risks that may be affected by these technologies. Technology needs to help us make better decisions and improve our livelihoods, especially in the other half of the world that is not connected to the internet. The book addresses important nuances and raises salient issues.