Evolution of Communication Part 2

Continuing from part one of my "Evolution of Communication" post, is the fifth digital literacy, "Socio-Emotional" Literacy. This stems from technology based, social sites such as chat rooms and Facebook. While these are great tools for individuals engaging in co-operative learning and event planning, the nuance behind this literacy lies in the ability to discern between the sincere and misleading. Unfortunately, predators lurk in these sites and learning keep communications to only known friends is the best defense.

The next two digital literacies are Aphek's addition to Eshet's five digital literacies. The first of Aphek's digital literacies is "Moderation & Self-regulation" literacy. Since digital mediums such as the internet and video games are often used as an escape from the mundane routine of life, they have the power to carry us away. Being able to control yourself and moderate usage of these technologies can prevent incidents like the South Korean who died in 2005 from playing a video game for 50 straight hours with few breaks.

Aphek's last literacy, she admits, is a "meta literacy" since it plays an integral role in all of the other literacies. The "Quality Assurance" literacy reminds us of the all important need for quality. Often, we are distracted by shiny pictures and impressive animations, but we use this technology for the content. If the content isn't what we expect, we are only cheating ourselves.