Digital literacy as a fundamental life skill
Twenty years ago, digital literacy was optional. Today it is essential. Employment applications are submitted online. Healthcare appointments are scheduled through portals. Government benefits are accessed through websites. Banking is conducted through apps. Civic participation increasingly happens in digital spaces. To be digitally illiterate today is to be functionally excluded from major systems of economic and civic life.
The employment stakes
The vast majority of job openings now require some level of digital skill — even jobs that are not traditionally considered technology roles. Retail, healthcare, logistics, construction, and service industries all increasingly require workers who can navigate digital systems. Workers without these skills face a shrinking pool of opportunities.
The education stakes
For children and young people, digital literacy is no longer supplementary to academic success — it is foundational to it. Remote and hybrid learning, digital research tools, online collaboration, and digital portfolios are now standard parts of the educational experience across grade levels.
The health stakes
Telehealth, patient portals, online prescription management, and digital health tracking are transforming healthcare delivery. For people without digital literacy, navigating the healthcare system is becoming increasingly difficult — and the consequences of exclusion can be serious.