Signs of the digital times

One of the main findings of a study carried out last year indicated that half of Malta’s 12-year-olds freely access internet from their bedrooms. More recently, we learned that research carried out by Microsoft in 2010 showed that 71 per cent of European teenagers post photos and videos of themselves and friends on social networking sites.

We need to invest more in the role of informal learning and recreational reading- Robert Mizzi

Annie Mullins, a qualified social worker, had this to say when she was in Malta to give a lecture to University B.Ed students about the challenges parents and teachers face due to technology: “Parents need to get online and see what their children are doing without necessarily keeping them under surveillance.”

Initiatives by the Malta Communications Authority, such as the Be Smart Online campaign and the Safer Internet Day that was marked on February 7, are indeed commendable. But is that enough?

The findings of the studies mentioned above show the urgent need of educating children to use the internet and the ocean of information available in a proper way. The social media aspect adds even more emphasis on the urgency to make our young (and not so young) generations information literate. This does not imply that we should just impose on them where to go and where not to go when online. As Ms Mullins rightly pointed out, being too strict with a child could drive him/her underground where s/he is more at risk.

My feeling is that a good number of parents see the provision of a computer and internet access to their children as a must without any knowledge whatsoever of the implications that this brings along. Apart from being knowledgeable about the dangers and risks, including provision of private information on social networking sites, it is also important to realise that the internet is a marvellous tool. If properly used, it can satisfy the informational, recreational and educational needs of many people.

Modern libraries all over the world have grasped the opportunity and included the role of educating the users to become information literate as one of their services. Staff in public and school libraries has been trained to roll out formal and informal sessions on how the internet should be used, how to search, find and evaluate the information available and use it properly.

Public libraries have identified this role and taken it on board as a natural extension to their traditional role of helping people access information in all its formats. It is, in my opinion, high time that information literacy is included in our national curriculum and that both school and public libraries are an integral part of one holistic strategy to ensure that both children and their parents are information literate.

This will not only contribute to a safer society but also to have an information literate society.

Access to technology is one thing, knowing how to make proper use of the ocean of information that such technology gives you access to is another ball game altogether.

On another note, the English Speaking Union has indicated that we are running the risk of losing our competitive edge due to the lower standard of English. Could it be that the increase in communications technologies has indirectly contributed to this state?

Most children and youths are, unfortunately, struggling to make a distinction between sending an SMS, posting messages on social networks, writing e-mails and proper spelling and writing. Is it possible that our young generations are being overexposed to the language being used on text messages and social networking sites and less exposed to reading good and enjoyable books that help improve their vocabulary and spelling?

My impression is that although a lot of people do use the internet, a lot of time is spent on fora where the quality of “reading” they are doing is pretty much abysmal.

Judging from experience, I sometimes find it hard to understand what is exactly being written on social media and fora where every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to publish their view. And this brings me to the point raised in the above paragraph.

Would more emphasis on information literacy and investment in our public and school libraries help in addressing the issue? I would think so but enjoying a good read or a journal does not seem very popular within our society. A quick scan of waiting areas in hospitals, clinics and bus stops will convey the message. Very few people are seen reading and the introduction of e-book readers seems to be one technological gadget that has not caught the attention of the local community yet. Figures and high percentages published recently indicating that Maltese read more than we thought are just contributing to sweep the real problem under the carpet. If we want to kid ourselves that we are a reading population just because many people indicate that they “read” online we are well and truly missing the wood for the trees.

We need to invest more in the role of informal learning and recreational reading. Libraries have an important role in this because their collections and activities should encourage people to visit them and read more in an enjoyable environment. This could be an effective solution to the serious issue pointed out, “that most of the workforce, starting from front office right up to management, is unable to string together a well-versed e-mail, or a five-minute presentation”.

We need to increase investment in our public and school libraries. This, together with adequate staff training and proper management, can contribute to the public libraries working hand in hand with our school libraries in making society more information literate. It will also improve the level of our standard of English, making our present and future workforce more competitive.

(The Malta Libraries Council is a government-appointed council by virtue of the Malta Libraries Act, 2010 and has an advisory role on matters concerning national and public libraries.)

The author is chairman of the Malta Libraries Council.