Are We Really as “Tech-Savvy” as We Think?

 Students may spend hours online each day. Does that mean they have strong digital skills?


I was reading some research that said most college students feel comfortable endlessly scrolling on social media. But far fewer feel confident posting original content or professionally networking or leveraging digital tools in impactful ways. This made me sit up and take notice about how crucial digital literacy is in the classroom.


As someone who will soon be an instructional designer, I’m beginning to understand that there is a difference between using technology and digitally literate.



Dennen, V. P., He, D., Shi, H., & Adolfson, D. (2023). College students, networked knowledge activities, and digital competence: Implications for online instructors. Online Learning, 27(4), 122-143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i4.4046   

Comments

  1. Felipe VernequeMay 26, 2026 at 8:19 AM

    Lydia, your post is very relevant and current!

    Recently, I have been studying about Digital Maturity. According to some authors, Digital Maturity has nothing to do with the number of hours a person spends online; rather, it concerns the practical application a person makes of social media. To me, this makes perfect sense: there is no point in spending hours upon hours on a social media platform without learning or absorbing any new knowledge. You might spend a few minutes scrolling for entertainment, but this needs to be limited, because this tool offers much more than just cheap dopamine; it connects experts with learners—experienced individuals with beginners—and that is precisely what I believe in when using social media.

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