At first, I thought that the digital literacy pathway was a time-consuming assignment that did not make sense. However, when I started it, it seemed to be interesting. Not only did I find out which skills I lacked in the digital world, but also took lessons to help me gain the skills that I lacked. I learned more about privacy, and how the smartphone works. After taking that lesson, I can easily say that I have gained digital literacy in that aspect, and not only a digital skill. Also, I learned all the drawbacks of social media nowadays. Facebook, Instagram, and all these platforms track you in order for them to gain a better understanding of your likes and dislikes, to be able to have a successful business. This reminded me of the movie on Netflix called the Social Dilemma. This documentary shows how we as people are used as puppets on social media. The internet knows us better than we know ourselves. They know our credit card numbers, who are our friends and families, where we go when we sleep etc. What I am trying to say here is that they know everything about you without actually knowing you. This documentary warned me that every action I take is carefully monitored and recorded. Many people think that Google is just a shortcut but it is more than that, but what you do not realize is that there is a team of engineers whose job is to use your psychology against you. This is similar to the lesson I took called online identity about wellbeing. In the Ted Talk, there was talk about a program called Collusion, which allows you to see who is tracking you, and by the end of the day, you would see that 100s of websites are watching you without consent.
Therefore, these lessons showed me accurate information on technology nowadays and actually relate to the struggles that everyone has now. I like that the information is up-to-date and relatable. Actually, there was a tweet that I read on Twitter that related a lot to the concept of technology.
I love this part of the documentary because it highlights what social media really means and what it really is from the inside. Overall, the digital literacy taught pathway has helped me make these connections and understand how problematic it is in our lives. Later on, I know that I would be more careful when it comes to social media, and even think I would limit my screen time by adjusting the time on my phone to be able to gradually use it less because life outside is way safer and better than being addicted to my phone and being part of this manipulative process.
A Day In The Life of Farah 