Digital Literacy and Inclusion: “We Are All In It Together”

All of the organizations I studied for my recent Benton Foundation report recognize that digital literacy, the ability to navigate the Internet, is key to meaningful broadband adoption. But they took different approaches to ensuring their clients have the skills needed to make use of broadband. Computer classes have traditionally been a popular way to provide digital literacy training. More recently, digital inclusion organizations have embraced one-on-one, personalized training approaches for community members in order to be relevant to each person’s everyday life experiences. In addition, several organizations noted that digital literacy is needed and requested by all, regardless of income.

Perhaps I should stress one point in particular: these organizations I visited provided digital literacy training to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Having a low income is not a requirement for participating in many of the digital literacy training programs that digital inclusion organizations provide. As Susan Corbett of Axiom Education and Training Center explained, “Digital literacy is needed and requested by all, regardless of income. I think this is important as technology has evolved around us and we are all in the same place—the need to learn. This is the message we have tried very hard to convey to communities, business leaders, and the adult learners that we work with. It’s okay to admit that you need help; we are all in this together.”