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Lemmy is a tech literate echo chamber (aussie.zone)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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I feel like the people I interact with irl don't even know how to boot from a USB. People here probably know how to do some form of coding or at least navigate a directory through the command line. Stg I would bet money on the average person not even being able to create a Lemmy account without assistance.

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[+] [S] -9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (20 children)

Ehhh maybe true for the US where they had a solid early tech industry and then made some questionable decisions. I feel like in the rest of the world progress is steady but forwards. Generally young stem university students where I live have all done a programming unit and a technology unit and each year more is added to curriculums whereas older generations might not have been given quite such an extensive education.

Also tech literacy = using a mouse is peak uppity midlife techy person. Get the fuck outta here there are more trans women and femboys wearing thigh highs and running arch off of think pads then there ever were of y'all older tech elitists back in the day.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (17 children)

    Yea, young STEM university students are obviously going to be more technologically literate than their counter parts. That isn't a new thing and was true for the older generations too.

    What questionable decisions are you talking about that the US made that you're insinuating set them back compared to the rest of the world? The US does have more tech classes now than when I was in school in the early 2000's. The problem is a vast majority of these kids coming up don't know how to use computers effectively. It's not just "using a mouse" that makes someone tech literate. Knowing how to navigate a mobile device, which is designed for ease of use to accommodate even the dumbest people, does not make someone tech literate. Some are power users, but most have nothing more than a surface level knowledge of how to use it. There's little to no troubleshooting skills.

    All of those mobile devices are programmed by actual tech literate people that understand coding, the network stack, security, and the general inner workings of how computers work. This generation coming out now doesn't know any of that because they never use computers.

    And lastly, holy fuck what's wrong with you? Jesus fucking Christ you just came out shooting in that second half. The person you replied to made a valid, factual point, and you apparently took that as a personal attack. What the fuck do trans people have to do with this? What a fucked up transition to make and shit to take. You need help, dude.

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  • [–] [S] -2 points 1 year ago* (16 children)

    The person I replied to said the "average person is becoming MORE technologically illiterate" and his source is "kids come to school not knowing how to use a mouse." Yet in the same sentence acknowledges "People grow up with phones and iPads."

    Yeah wow, kids don't know how to use a mouse because they've never used one before. Truly society is regressing. Kids get taught how to use scissors. It's just juvenoia.

    Young people are more interested in technology then ever before. There are more people with computers, more people using computers daily and longer collective hours spent digitally then ever before.

    But yeah tech literacy is down guys trust. these kids can't even troubleshoot a fax machine. Just read the multiple studies that prove my point that I haven't linked but I've definitely read guys trust.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (15 children)

    Not knowing how to use a mouse is hyperbole for not knowing how to use a computer, but also, if you can't use a mouse, you can't use a workstation computer. Knowing how to navigate a mobile device does not make someone tech literate. In general it stunts computer skills, because there's minimal tech knowledge required to download an app from a curated store or watching tik tok.

    You're proving our point in the second paragraph. Yea, kids aren't being taught computer skills. Not knowing the fundamentals of how to use a workstation is a problem and it is causing a regression in technological literacy in society.

    Young people tend to be more interested in phone and tablets than ever before. Some for sure are into workstations, but that is not the norm. Id argue less kids percentage wise are spending time on computers daily than 15-20 years ago. Everything is done on iPads or phones in schools, until college. Even if you didn't want to, back in the day you had to know how to navigate a complex operating system, save files to removable storage, download files and install them, and a plethora of other seemingly simple skills, and that's not happening now.

    If you work in IT or around youth entering the workforce, it's extremely clear that tech literacy is worse now than it was a decade ago, or at least it is as a millennial that bridged that gap and can clearly see the difference. I can see if someone is younger than millennials why they wouldn't be able to see that difference, because they are in that demographic.

    It would take 5 seconds to do a Google search for millennials and technology and find a couple studies on the topic. It isn't some secret that's being hidden and it's easily accessible. Perhaps your inability to find these studies is the proof that tech literacy has degraded.

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  • [–] [S] -1 points 1 year ago* (14 children)

    Phones and tablets are computers. Being able to use one is a form of tech literacy just as how knowing how to use a mouse and keyboard is a form of tech literacy. Bro it's your argument, if you're adamant the sources exist to support it that's on you to provide it otherwise the person reading your writing will be unable to find specifically what you are referring to. I mean you are referring to something you specifically have read right? You wouldn't make something up based on vibes right? All this talk about being tech literate and you're not doing the basic literary work of source citation.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (13 children)

    That wasn't my argument, that was someone else. I'm just shitting on your response to them instead of doing the bare amount of research.

    My whole point is, kids are coming out with less computer knowledge as a whole. Maybe they know more on mobile devices than older generations, but I'd argue that's not even true compared to millennials who were also in the prime of smart phones and tablets hitting the market. The difference is millennials also know how to use workstations, making them more tech literate. Having skills on just mobile devices is very sandboxed and remedial. It's not noteworthy in the slightest. Being able to work with a desktop OS, understanding a file system, and troubleshooting are tech skills that you get generations don't have, making them less tech literate.

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  • [–] [S] -1 points 1 year ago (12 children)

    "That wasn't my argument, that was someone else"

    "If you work in IT or around youth entering the workforce, it's extremely clear that tech literacy is worse now than it was a decade ago"

    Yeah but it ain't my argument guys I only said it and made a case for it. Come on man, just show the sources. I mean it's really clear right so all those studies will unambiguously show it. And they're right there in Google so it wouldn't even be difficult to find them wouldn't it.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (3 children)

    The argument saying there are peer reviewed studies was not the argument I made. You're strawman game is weak dude.

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  • [–] [S] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    "It would take 5 seconds to do a Google search for millennials and technology and find a couple studies on the topic. It isn't some secret that's being hidden and it's easily accessible."

    "The argument saying there are peer reviewed studies was not the argument I made"

    Bruh moment

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    No need to be an asshole about it. Their point about the next generation becoming less technological literate has been widely discussed and isn't even a controversial opinion.

    Here's a few sources discussing this

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  • [–] [S] 0 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    None of these sources compare the tech literacy levels of different generations and the first source you provide would suggest gen z are more technologically adept starting:

    "The survey of 1,000 workers in the US revealed 25% of Gen Zers feel they can't get work done because they are "tech support" for coworkers."

    "Gen Zers say they're fed up with being the tech gurus for older coworkers"

    "Gen Z workers are 10 times more likely to feel ashamed about technical issues than their older colleagues, HP survey says"

    None of these sources support the idea of tech literacy decreasing in anyway.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (5 children)

    "The assumption is that because Gen Z and even millennials spend a considerable amount of time on technology that they are technology savvy," Irish said, according to WorkLife.

    "This is a huge misconception. Sadly, neither watching TikTok videos nor playing Minecraft fulfills the technology brief."

    Unfortunately, Gen Z may be less equipped for the future of technical work than we think. The key reason is that traditional education is not preparing the new generation for a digitally-driven job market. A recent study from Dell, which surveyed 15,000 Gen Z members, found that 37% of them feel that schools are not adequately preparing them for the demands of a digital world. Furthermore, 56% have received minimal to no digital skills education.

    Across the nation, the basic skills of reading and comprehension have been devalued over recent years, intellectual curiosity among younger generations has grown weaker, and AI is rapidly replacing human thought.

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  • [–] [S] 0 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Yeah so they're stating that gen z is less equipped for technical work than someone might assume. Nowhere have they been compared to other generations tech literacy which you claimed it would nor was a tech literacy test done on any generation with the only data being from questions targeted at gen z asking them about themselves.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (3 children)

    Nowhere have they been compared

    less equipped

    Can't do the reading for you..

    This stuff has been talked about for at least 5 years. Here's two studies that have come to the same conclusions. By The University of Toledo and the ICILS EU.

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  • [–] [S] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    Here's the full quote

    "Gen Z may be less equipped for the future of technical work than we think."

    Less then people think does not mean less than other generations. Also this claim is based off of results from a self evaluation by gen z.

    This is from the first source you mentioned.

    "Many millennials, individuals born between 1981 and 1996, and the Generation Z population, born after 1997, have learned to be great, efficient consumers of technology, such as sending pictures, sharing videos and texting or other short-form communication."

    "However, they are far less adept at understanding how to use technology to create useful solutions to their business challenges "

    Doesn't compare gen z against millennials nor does it state that either are less tech savvy then previous generations just that the tech demands of work have been increasing faster then the education standards. That is to say that while tech literacy has gone up the demand for tech skills has grown further. This study does not say at all that tech literacy has been declining.

    Following through to the study in the second source, "The results demonstrate that significant efforts are needed in order to move closer to the ambitious EU-level target of reducing the share of low-achieving students in computer and information literacy to less than 15% by 2030." That is to say the source is showing how education targets are failing to be reached not that education levels are declining. This study also does not compare generational tech literacy levels.

    Very strange to see all these sources that supposedly show tech literacy is declining generationally yet none of them are any studies of the level of tech skills each generation has had during the period they were joining the workforce and a subsequent comparison. Almost like that's a made up abstraction based off of vibes.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (1 child)

    Conveniently left out the relevant part:

    However, they (they as in Gen Z) are far less (less as in compared with the Millennials) adept at understanding how to use technology to create useful solutions to their business challenges — for example, using Outlook to send e-mail, Word to prepare documents, Excel to analyze data and PowerPoint to communicate through presentations.

    This, togheter with the previous paragraph which you mentioned, is talking about a direct comparison of Gen Z and Millennials and it directly states Gen Z is less tech savvy than Millennials.

    This study does not say at all that tech literacy has been declining.

    But it does, like multiple times, even on paragraphs you quoted.

    I provide you with multiple sources explaining how tech literacy is declining, you keep saying they don't compare. What do you think less means? What do you think declining means? It means they are comparing.

    Try wasting someone else's time lmao

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    "However, they (they as in Gen Z) are far less (less as in compared with the Millennials) adept at understanding how to use technology"

    You just added in the "they as in gen z" and the "less than millennials part" into the text. The text is referring to both millennials and gen z at this part in the text and it is comparing them to their older counterparts which would be gen x and boomers lol. There is also no source for this claim it's just what some guy thinks. No actual study or data is provided.

    The article does not compare gen z and millennials. Show me the unedited quote. Of them doing that.

    Show me the quotes where it says tech literacy is declining. Like I said, you're making abstractions based off of vibes. None of your sources provide any data showing tech literacy declining.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago*

    One time I said "Hey this TUI program works perfect on every single distribution and even BSDs, takes no performance issues ever, and just overall good program. I wanna check contributors on github."

    It was all either anime or trans flag pfps.

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