Ask HN: Do you feel like digital literacy is falling among kids?
Every one of them has an iPad in class (which I do not approve, but what can I do). They use it about 2 hours every day. Since everybody has one, the school recently ditched the computer room (which I obviously disapproved too).
Recently I began to suspect that they couldn’t properly use their iPad, so I tried them with a basic test. I asked them to link a Google Drive document to a Google Classroom exam. Both services are run by Google, and my opinion was that the experience was pretty seamless.
The result was: most of them failed. They couldn't find how to combine the two services, and had no clue where to look first. I tried different ways to explain with more and more detail, but they seemed so confused and helpless that I had to show them the exact process. Some of them eventually gave up and asked if they could send me a screenshot by email instead.
When I looked at their Drive, it was a complete mess. Random file names, important stuff among piles of old useless files, inconsistent directory structures. They had all their learning materials on their iPad, were using it every day, but had no clue where to find anything.
While trying to teach them how to learn by themselves, I reminded myself teaching my grandparents how to send an email, and I thought: "My God, these kids have the digital literacy level of my grandparents."
Do you notice the same in kids around you? Or is my brain just unconsciously trying to compliment myself for how technically literate I am?