What is Digital Fluency?

🎯 PURPOSE: Digital fluency has become absolutely necessary because technology is now part of almost everything we do. Since the 2010s, digital fluency has changed from being a nice extra skill to being one of the most important abilities you can have. Employers around the world now consider it a top "power skill"[4]. The COVID-19 pandemic made this even more important, as people suddenly needed strong digital skills to work from home, learn online, and stay connected with others. When organizations have employees who are digitally fluent, they tend to be more innovative, flexible, and successful[5][6].

🛠️ HOW IT WORKS: Building digital fluency takes ongoing effort and practice—it's not something you learn once and forget about. People develop this skill by continuously learning new things, trying out different technologies hands-on, and thinking critically about how to use them. This means regularly testing new tools, working with others in digital spaces, and finding creative ways to solve real problems with technology. Since technology keeps changing, staying digitally fluent means being willing to keep learning throughout your life, checking your skills regularly, and adapting to new trends[3][7].

🌍 CONTEXT: Digital fluency looks different depending on where you use it. At work, it helps people make better decisions using data, work well with different teams, and lead technology improvements[8][9]. In schools, it helps both teachers and students learn better through technology while preparing for future jobs. For communities that have been left out, digital fluency can open doors to better jobs and help people participate more in their communities. Unlike just knowing how to use specific programs, digital fluency combines technology skills with important thinking abilities like problem-solving, making ethical choices, and adapting to change—which makes it powerful in any situation[10][11].