In thinking about the consistency of digital literacy I must admit I am a tad frazzled. During my life, I have seen the rise and fall of technologies like VHS and cassette tapes. Likewise, video games have grown from the simplistic Pac-Man to complicated worlds found in Call of Duty: Black Ops or Star Wars: The Old Republic. Cellular phones now have the ability to compute data faster than the giant computers of yesteryear.
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.
According to Moore’s Law, every two years transistors double on computer boards increasing a computer speed and ability at a blistering pace. As technology advances at an incredible rate, staying on the cusp of socially and academically preferred technology is a daunting task for some. Falling behind the speed of technological advance is not uncommon. While some are in a state of free fall others see opportunity for exploitation. Likewise, some technology, by nature, lends itself to deeds which can be abused by both ends of the technological-know-how-pool. One end of the technological pool can manipulate others too naive to recognize which end of the pool they stand upon nor do they understand the consequences of their actions in a digital plane.
Despite seeing the birth and rise of the modern technological world I have fallen behind the wake of progress and now I ponder what it means to be digitally literate and upon which shore of the pool I stand.
In my thinking, I have arrived at the conclusion that the word Courage singularly summarizes the utmost requirement for being digitally literate. Courage is needed to traverse the digital world that stands ready to lend a helping hand while grasping to pull others into the vapid maw of simulated reality. One must possess courage in order to be a responsible learner, to distinguish between the truths and lies in information available. Courage is needed to resist the temptations offered by those trying to manipulate and exploit others. Courage will lead us to our own enlightenment.
Along the road to enlightenment we must bear the consequences of our actions and assume the responsibility of our own education. We must look within. Honest self-reflection is key to growth and the ultimate form of courage. We must therefore heed the advice of Kant and, “Have the courage to use [our] own understanding!” and grow through the responsible use of technology.
lostwonblog 
You’re absolutely right that it’s impossible to stay up-to-date on all the new developments, technologies, apps, programs, etc. I think it’s helpful to focus on what we need to know right now for what we’re trying to do, learn, or achieve. I learn new tech all the time but only as I need it–not just for the sake of learning the newest thing. A program or app is only meaningful to me (and actually only learnable for me) if I can apply it right away to a task I need to complete. I found your thoughts on courage quite interesting. I have found that it helps me to have a “muck about” attitude about digital and tech learning. I try to tackle new tech challenges when I have time to play. I recognize that I’m probably going to go down some wrong paths, make mistakes, push buttons that don’t work, and perhaps freeze my computer before I figure it out. But there’s always the back button, and there’s always Control-Alt-Delete!
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