Coding: The online generations

Gen Z was the first generation to experience what we consider modern technology during their childhood and are often considered to be digitally literate. Despite this, however, most of Gen Z knows relatively little about the internet’s history and the background processes that keep it running. We are adept at traversing new social media platforms, but often lack the experimentation and knowledge necessary for true digital literacy in many cases. As apps, websites, and technology in general becomes bigger, more complex, and more all consuming, the need for digital literacy is only increasing, but typing, coding, and computer classes have slowly been phased out of most school curriculums. It is my belief that all students should learn the skills, tools, and facts needed to thrive in an ever progressing digital world.

I was born in 2008, but despite being a later member of Gen Z, I had very little technology in my childhood. My family didn’t have a TV until a few months ago, my sister and I were rarely allowed to play video games and then, never on any sort of console, our parents had flip phones until after the pandemic started, and I have only had a phone (an iPhone SE) for about three years. In many ways, however, I think this was greatly to my benefit. I used computer programs that were older, took more time to figure out, and were less intuitive than many apps and websites now. I also learned basic coding principles through Scratch where I built simple games and . I think having to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them instead of technology being presented in an entirely intuitive way, allowed me to learn how to use programs like Instagram as well as Excel within the past year.

I also run Linux (Fedora specifically) on my computer because I appreciate its open source and modular nature. I am unable to run plenty of commercial programs as easily as a Windows user is able to, but I am also able to adapt my computer to suit my needs and create workarounds for these issues. This summer, I needed to use the desktop version of Excel and worked with my dad to install a virtual machine since Linux does not support Excel. I’m still learning how to use the terminal and I end up calling him more times than not, but I have been able to pick up on some of the basics of coding through childhood, and now a computer that requires a bit more work.

Whether you are in support of it or not, technology is becoming more important and more relevant across the world. I agree with the argument that less screen time would be better for us (emotionally, physically, mentally, socially, etc.), but to refuse to educate under the “dream” that all internet-connected devices and the technology behind them will vanish if the fight goes on long enough, is ignorant and ultimately harmful.

Companies that don’t have to worry about their users leaving…can spy on you more, or put more ads into your feed, or pay fewer moderators to fight harassment.

Commentary: Cory Doctorow: Social Quitting

This quote, written by Cory Doctorow in his article Commentary: Cory Doctorow: Social Quitting, shows exactly why digital literacy is important. The obvious reason is the ability to use Google, Powerpoint, and an email provider, but an arguably more important reason is that of safety. There is a surplus of people (myself included) that install apps and accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Agreements without so much as skimming them.

Not to mention that it is both disheartening and frightening to live in a world where it is funny when Instagram shows you ads for the product your friend mentioned wanting. Once is a coincidence, twice is strange, again and again and again is a pattern most of us have stopped worrying about.

Digital literacy is knowing how to use digital products, but I would also argue that it encompasses the ability to discern when your information is being sold, which websites are safe to visit, what “red flags” might look like in a Terms of Service agreement, and ultimately, how to approach digital products.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>45 minutes of practice!</title>
<head>
<body>
<p>proof that learning doesn't have to take a long time!</p>
  <ol>I can do <strong><em>THIS</strong></em></ol>
  <ol>and <strike>this</strike> oh wait. I meant <u>this</u>!</ol>
  <ol>I also built a website about the history of bananas. it isn't factually correct, but I'm not really sure how that's relevant :l</ol>
<body>
</html>

So what should this mean for the education system?

Students are expected to be able to read critically, and to read critically, you first need to learn how to spell and what a noun is. Having the base knowledge necessary to understand what you are looking at when clicking the “Inspect” option after a right-click should not be unusual. Understanding how code is formatted and how to write simple code yourself should not be considered extraordinary.

Similarly, having a basic knowledge of both the physical world and the digital world’s history is important. It might not keep us from making the same mistakes as past generations, but knowing little about our history is how corrupt governments form and citizens are convinced into complicity. There is a reason why Nazi Germany burned books. Knowledge is powerful and in the digital world where new companies are constantly forming, malware is easily hidden, and the potential of Artificial Intelligence is yet unknown, knowing where the internet came from, who made it, and who holds major control over it now, is becoming increasingly necessary.

In an interview, Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the World Wide Web said,

Charlie is an A.I. that works for you.

Tim Berners-Lee Invented the World Wide Web. Now He Wants to Save It.

It doesn’t truly matter whether we want to, or do, believe him. What’s important is realizing that this is what all companies say. What OpenAI, Gemeni, Grok, and companies both physical and digital promise: we have your best interests in mind. The question is, where do we draw the line? Is Tim Berners-Lee more trustworthy than Elon Musk? Will Gemeni remain free, or free just long enough to draw us in? Is putting kids on TikTok or Instagram safe when AI is legally allowed to make deepfakes?

No one has definite answers, but learning to look at the web critically, understanding its history, and knowing what code is behind the pretty presentations of apps we trust with so much of our data, gives us the information necessary to make informed decisions. The ability to make hypotheses should not begin and end in the physical world.